GUIDELINES FOR INTERNAL PEER-REVIEW IN THE CARDIAC-CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY

The Laboratory Performance Standards Committee of the Society for Card iac Angiography and Interventions has proposed guidelines for establis hing an internal peer review program in the cardiac catheterization la boratory. The first step is to establish a committee and a data base. This data base should include quality indicators that reflect: physici an qualifications, outcomes of procedures, and processes of care. The outcomes must be risk-adjusted to account for the variable severity of illness. Data should be collected by catheterization laboratory perso nnel and entered into a laboratory-specific computerized data base, Th ese data must be analyzed and organized into profiles that reflect the quality of care, Based on this information, the Committee would insti tute the following interventions to improve physician performance: edu cation, clinical practice standardization, feedback and benchmarking, professional interaction, incentives, decision-support systems, and ad ministrative interventions. The legal aspects of peer review are revie wed briefly. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.