Survey of methods of professional review for physicians in highly rated medical centers.

In this article, we describe the spectrum of processes by which full-time faculty at highly rated U.S. hospitals are assessed. A 15-item mail survey was sent to the chief executive officers of 98 of the 100 best-rated hospitals in the July 2004 U.S. News and World Report. Results are based on responses from 34 hospitals (35 percent response rate). Formal faculty performance reviews were commonly conducted among responding top-rated hospitals and used a variety of formats. Many, but not all, reported expending large amounts of time conducting faculty reviews, presumably reflecting the perceived value of the process.