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Tip of the week: Don't wait for perfect physician performance data

Medical Staff Leader Connection, March 18, 2009

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A lack of precision should not prevent the reasonable interpretation of physician performance data as long as the data are being used reasonably. Executives make reasonable decisions all the time based on imprecise data. The following are four helpful principles regarding the interpretation of imprecise data:

• Don’t wait for perfect data. Perfect should never be the enemy of good. Work with the data you have and learn how it can be used. A good way to do that is to distribute data to physicians with the caveat that you want them to see the data and give constructive feedback.
• Look for big differences. The data aren’t that precise, so don’t create the illusion of precision.
• The data are a starting point to ask the right questions. Ask “Why are you different?” not “Why are you bad?” Ask the physician what he or she thinks could account for the data, and then explore together whether their response is true.
• Make the data better. Commit as a medical staff and a hospital to identify key data error sources and take responsibility to fix them

If the medical staff uses imprecise data as an excuse to not distribute data at all, it will be difficult to ever create a data-driven culture.

This week’s tip is adapted from Peer Review Best Practices: Case Studies and Lessons Learned by Robert J. Marder, MD, CMSL and Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, FACPE, CPE, FACEP, CMSL.

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