Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 23

FEATURE

Navigating Recent Judicial
Decisions on the Scope of
"Peer Review Priviledge"
in Pennsylvania
By Benjamin A. Post, Esquire, and Joshua T. Calo, Esquire, Post & Post, LLC

S

ince 1974, health care providers have relied on
the Pennsylvania Peer Review Protection Act
(PRPA) to allow them to candidly and openly
evaluate the care of their peers, without fear of
adverse repercussions in alleged medical malpractice
litigation. Historically, such candid evaluations could not
be discovered in alleged malpractice lawsuits. Instead, such
evaluations were protected by a "peer review privilege."
The purpose of promoting such open and candid
evaluations has been to encourage health care providers
to police themselves, without fear of disclosure in alleged
medical malpractice cases.

If health care providers had to fear the disclosure of
such candid evaluations in alleged medical malpractice
litigation, the Pennsylvania legislature feared that there
would be a "chilling effect" on the healthcare delivery
system. In other words, if such candid discussions would
be revealed to medical malpractice litigants, the healthcare
industry might stop conducting peer review processes.
In the last few years, the Pennsylvania appellate courts have
potentially narrowed the scope of the peer review privilege.
In the following article, we will briefly describe the court
decisions that have potentially narrowed this protection.
At the end of this article, we will explain how best to
nonetheless utilize the PRPA to protect peer review
discussions and meetings.

Background of the Peer Review Privilege
The confidentiality provision of the PRPA states that "the
proceedings and records of a review committee shall be
held in confidence and shall not be subject to discovery
or introduction into evidence in any civil action against a
professional health care provider arising out of the matters
which are the subject of evaluation and review by such
committee. . . ." 1
continued on next page

www.delcomedsoc.org

DELAWARE COUNTY MEDICINE & HEALTH

21



http://www.delcomedsoc.org

Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020

Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 1
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 2
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 3
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 4
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 5
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 6
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 7
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 8
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 9
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 10
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 11
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 12
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 13
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 14
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 15
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 16
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 17
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 18
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 19
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 20
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 21
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 22
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 23
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 24
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 25
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 26
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 27
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 28
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 29
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 30
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 31
Delaware County Medical Society Summer/Fall 2020 - 32
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareMedicalSocietySummerFall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareMedicalSocietySpring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareMedicalSocietyFall2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/LivingwithLossfromAddiction
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelcoMedicalSocietySummer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietySpring2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietyWinter2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietyFall2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietySummer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelcoMedicalSocietySpring2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelcoMedicalSociety
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietyWinter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietyFall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSocietySpring2017A
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/delcomed/DelawareCountyMedicalSociety
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com