WHAT IS PROCTORING IN HEALTHCARE?

THE ROLE AND VALUE OF PROCTORS

Proctoring in healthcare is an objective evaluation of a provider’s clinical competence by someone serving as a proctor who represents and is responsible to the medical staff. This peer-review tool is an important checkpoint prior to granting privileges.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) published proctoring guidelines for bylaws provisions. According to the article, there are three types of proctoring, prospective, concurrent, and retrospective. Typically there are three primary categories for the proctor to observe and evaluate: Clinical Knowledge, Understanding of Equipment, and Fluency with the Technique and Procedure.

A written report with a detailed assessment of the applicant’s performance is submitted to the medical executive committee with a recommendation from the department chair to grant clinical privileges, continue the proctoring period, or deny clinical privileges based on the proctor’s report.

The following is contributed by Hugh Greeley, author of Hugh’s Credentialing Digest

I have received a number of questions concerning “proctors,” their relationship to the medical staff, qualification, privileges, and compensation. Before we delve into these questions, let’s take a look at just what “proctoring” means.

According to most dictionaries, proctoring, to proctor, and (the noun) proctor generally relates to “a person appointed to keep watch over students at examinations, to supervise or monitor, a person who administers a test.”

In the course of either F or OPPE (focused or ongoing professional practice evaluation), medical staffs most often use the term “proctor” to mean a person with like or similar skills and knowledge who will observe the work of another in order to render a report to the medical executive committee concerning the overall quality of the work under observation.

Proctors are Neutral Observers

A proctor is not an assistant during a clinical event, is not a trainer, is not a disciplinarian, and is not a supervisor. He or she is simply present to observe and report. However, we could easily imagine a situation in which a proctor may feel the need to intervene or assist the person subject to proctoring because of imminent potential harm to the patient. While this situation rarely occurs, it is a distinct possibility.

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