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Date sent: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 17:32:34 -0600 Send reply to: Jorge A Romero MD <[log in to unmask]> From: Jorge A Romero MD <[log in to unmask]> Organization: Charcot's Tooth Subject: Re: cure/VIROLOGY and IMMUNOLOGY To: [log in to unmask] > It has been proposed that hospitals should be keeping logs of > procedures performed, outcomes, and percentages according to surgeon > or provider. Some hospitals do, but such data are not available to the > public because of concerns about liability. Indeed, some of these > data are cosidered to be privileged and protected. Hospitals are *required* to do this, but some do it more carefully than others. At my hospitals, Peer Review (of doctors) is taken very seriously. I was a member of the Peer Review Committee for the Department of Surgery for many years and we were merciless with our colleagues. All surgical procedures have complications. The purpose of a Peer Review Committee is to determine whether a particular surgeon has more complications than expected when compared to the "average". If this occurs, in a good system, the surgeon is placed on "proctorship" and is required to have a peer scrub in with him on every case until the proctor says that the surgeon is doing OK. I have served as a proctor many times. If a surgeon does not conform to the criteria set by the Committee, he can be expelled from the Staff of the hospital or his privileges (what he can do) can be curtailed. Next month, I am going to travel to testify in such a case (a Hearing before a hospital committee) concerning a surgeon whose privileges have been suspended. The general public does not have access to this process, as if the public knew this, a doctor who was in the midst of the process could lose referrals and his livelihood. Thus, only if a doctor is "found guilty" does his/her name get placed in a database (which is generally available to the public via the various state medical boards). One of the best ways to find a good surgeon is to ask other doctors (and nurses and other medical professionals) whom they would recommend for their families or themselves. Actually operating room nurses often have the best ideas as to who the good surgeons are, since they see them in action all the time. Best, Bob ********************************************** Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C. 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 Berkeley, California 94704-2636 Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557 WWW: http://www.rafink.com/ mailto:[log in to unmask] "Ex Tristitia Virtus" *********************************************