Civilian external peer review: lessons learned.

Abstract

Since 1986, the Department of Defense has contracted with an outside agency for Civilian External Peer Review (CEPR). From January, 1986 to December, 1988, records indicate that approximately 350,000 discharges from Army hospitals have been included in the study. Initially, the small number of positive findings prevented generalizations; as the total number of cases screened has increased, several valuable lessons have been learned suggesting avenues for improving care. Additionally, a great deal has been elucidated concerning the process of large-scale clinical peer review.