Glossary

The mechanism used by the medical staff to evaluate the quality of total health care provided by the Managed Care Organization. The evaluation covers how well services are performed by all health personnel and how appropriate the services are to meet the patients’ needs. Evaluation of health care services by medical personnel with similar training. Generally, the evaluation by practicing physicians or other professionals of the effectiveness and efficiency of services ordered or performed by other members of the profession (peers). Frequently, peer review refers to the activities of the Professional Review Organizations, and also to review of research by other researchers. This is the most common method utilized in managed care for monitoring the utilization by physicians. In other words, the decisions made by a physician will be reviewed by other physicians. Much controversy has surfaced in this area in recent years. Some physicians are reluctant to be reviewed by physicians over the phone or by having their written records read. Some consumers suspect that peer review is not true peer review since both the providers and the reviewers often have personal financial incentives to reduce or increase medical care. See fiduciary. Nonetheless, peer review is utilized in all managed care settings.