Rhona McMillan
BackgroundExternal peer review of consultations has been available to general medical practitioners (GPs) in the west of Scotland for several years. This study aims to assess the feasibility, accessibility and educational impact of consultation peer review for GPs. Method An interview guide was developed and an independent researcher used this to interview a sample of 10 GPs who had submitted consultations for peer review in the previous six months. ResultsAll GPs interviewed felt that there had been educational impact as a result of consultation peer review, the majority had presented this material as part of their annual appraisal and thought that their appraisal had been enhanced as a result. The process was both acceptable and feasible for the majority of GPs interviewed. ConclusionConsultation peer review appears to be an acceptable and feasible educational activity, resulting in behaviour change. It may be useful as an alternative to multisource feedback and patient questionnaires in provision of evidence of effective communication skills for annual appraisal.
