Understanding the Purpose of the Medical Staff Quality Committee

By Rita Fisher, quality improvement specialist, Miami Valley Hospital

The goal of the Medical Staff Quality Committee (MSQC) is to establish a centralized, multi-specialty approach for medical staff to evaluate and improve practitioner performance. The committee also helps create a performance improvement culture for peer review and assist the hospital in improving systems affecting physician practice. The primary responsibilities of the MSQC include system management measurement, practitioner performance evaluation, improvement opportunity accountability, and oversight of other medical staff practitioner performance evaluation committees.

The role of a quality improvement specialist is to collect cases and monitor and navigate peer review through the MSQC process. These cases are sent to the quality team through the hospital's confidential incident reporting system. Once the case is reviewed and found to meet a specific MSQC indicator, it is sent to a committee member for peer review, completion, and submission for discussion during the meeting. The MSQC works closely with the quality department to perform necessary provider peer review on an ongoing basis to allow for early correction/improvement. Should additional information be needed to complete a case review, an inquiry letter will be sent to the provider's Premier Health email account, and a number of days will be given to respond. Once a response is received, the case is discussed again, and a final determination is made. A determination letter with the committee's findings will be sent to the provider through their Premier Health email.

Ultimately, the Medical Staff Quality Committee ensures that we are providing excellent care to our patients through best practice.

Back to the June 2024 issue of Premier Pulse