First few Article Sentences
Hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers who engage in peer review should familiarize themselves with Washington’s Peer Review Act, RCW 7.71 et seq., a statute that provides substantial protections to participants in peer review, and mandates the award of attorney fees to victorious parties in peer review challenges.
The Peer Review Act is “the exclusive remedy” in Washington for an “action taken by a professional peer review body of health care providers . . . that is found to be based on matters not related to the competence or professional conduct of a health care provider.” The Act adopts the provisions of the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act (“HCQIA”), which protects participants in peer review from damages liability under state law, provided certain procedural requirements of the HCQIA are met.