Peer-Review Privilege Law and Legal Definition
Peer-review privilege is a privilege that protects from disclosure the proceedings and reports of a medical facility's peer-review committee, which reviews and oversees the patient care and medical services provided by the medical staff. This privilege prevents patient-plaintiffs from obtaining the hospital records prepared in connection with quality review proceedings. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have privilege statutes that protect peer review records of medical staff members. Some states like Georgia and California also provide a statutory immunity from discovery of peer review records. This protection excludes from discovery, records containing performance reviews and assessments of physicians by their peers, primarily in connection with their practices at hospitals.
