Peer Review

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supports effective peer review as an essential part of assuring quality patient care. Family physicians should be leaders in this process. The purpose of the peer review process is to identify potential system or workflow improvements that the organization could implement to reduce the chances of mistakes or adverse events in the future, resulting in better patient care through physician education and performance improvement. Peer review should be physician-led, protected from administrative or corporate interference and consistent with state laws codifying medical staff self-governance.

Family physicians are encouraged to actively participate in peer review programs to ensure patient care is high quality, patient-oriented, evidence-based and sensitive to community needs, culture and practices. The AAFP supports family physicians conducting peer reviews for other family physicians, whenever possible. Peer review should be performed by a physician with similar qualifications to those of the physician being reviewed.

Peer review by medical staff, medical societies, medical groups, health plans and other entities should be confidential, protected, and not subject to disclosure or discovery. However, the evidence and clinical decision making used in developing peer review decisions should be transparent and open to scrutiny. Physicians should be given an opportunity to provide further information and/or refute peer review outcomes. (1988) (July 2026 BOD)