AllMed Healthcare Medical Director Skip Freedman Published In Physician’s News Digest

AllMed Healthcare Management Medical Director Skip Freedman has recently authored a feature article “Independent Review Organizations
For Peer Review?” that is featured in the September 2006 issue of Physician’s News Digest. The article may be viewed by clicking the following link: http://www.physiciansnews.com/business/906freedman.html

Internal hospital peer review, though noble in its intent, is deeply flawed in its application. Hospitals want to insure that their patients receive the best possible care. However, when physicians from the same institution as the subject of the review are tasked with objectively judging that person’s professional actions, it’s hard to keep personal and professional bias out of the process. Furthermore, with internal hospital peer review, the subject of the review might be evaluated by someone with a different medical specialty and the reviews might not be done promptly due to scheduling issues.

Forward thinking hospitals are now utilizing independent review organizations (IROs) for outsourced hospital peer review. An IRO eliminates any and all professional biases and provides the hospital with a case review from a specialist with the same medical background and up-to-date professional training as the subject of the review. An IRO will also offer fast turnaround for its hospital clients. Doctors and hospital risk managers should utilize an Independent Review Organization as a tool for not only resolving patient / physician conflicts expeditiously but also as a risk management tool for both reducing the probability of expensive lawsuits and reducing the likelihood of internal organizational turmoil. Outsourcing hospital peer review to an Independent Review Organization is very much a hospital “Best Practice”.

More information on AllMed and the company’s hospital peer review & medical review services can be found on AllMed’s web site at http://www.allmedmd.com/ .

About AllMed Healthcare Management
Founded in 1995, AllMed (http://www.allmedmd.com/) is a URAC-accredited Independent Review Organization (IRO) serving insurance payers, providers, TPAs and claims managers nationwide. Reviews are conducted by board-certified physicians in active practice. AllMed’s growing customer base includes premier organizations, such as Educator’s Mutual Life, IMS Managed Care, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, HealthGuard, several Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Allianz and many other leading healthcare payers.