The Challenge of Securing Proctors

The focused professional practice evaluation (FPPE) process is designed to establish a systematic process to ensure there is sufficient information provided to confirm the current competency of practitioners initially granted privileges and current members who have been granted new privileges. One of the ways health care facilities are implementing this process involves the assignment of proctors. This responsibility could reside with a section chief, department chair, or chair of the credentials committee. My guess is that in most cases it will be the responsibility of the department chair.

That being the assumption, how will the department chair manage the assignment of proctors and what incentives will be offered to proctors to accept responsibilities of being a proctor. For example, the criteria for being proctor may be that he/she must be a member in good standing and must have unrestricted privileges to perform procedures similar to those of the physician to be proctored. The first step is to define the type of proctoring required for the new physician (direct observation, concurrent observation, or retrospective chart review).

The proctor must further agree to complete necessary paperwork (evaluation forms) for the number of cases designated for determining competency in each privilege area. One of the major concerns will be how much time will the proctor need to spend in the proctor role and how much time will that take away from his/her private practice.

The Joint Commission has admitted that this will be a resource intensive effort for practically all our facilities and especially difficult for those without the infrastructure to collect, monitor and compile data for the department chair's review.

How will you solve this problem at your facility? Your experience and comments are most welcomed!

Carole La Pine, MSA, CPMSM, CPCS