Physician Compliance Network, LLC (PCN) was established to evaluate the appropriateness of cardiovascular interventional procedures and surgical care. We believe the current process of review is inadequate to monitor the appropriateness of procedures being performed by cardiovascular specialists. Recent high-profile abuses of the system as reported in the lay press have brought this matter to the attention of the public and government regulators. As a result, physicians and hospitals have suffered serious consequences.

Over one million cardiovascular invasive procedures and nearly five hundred thousand cardiac surgical operations are performed annually in the United States. As the population ages, the number of procedures and associated costs will increase.

Traditionally, parameters such as medical complications, mortality rates, costs, lengths of stay, re-admissions, and discharge medications are reviewed. Currently, hospitals and physicians function independently when determining the appropriateness of the procedures conducted, and oversight has been left to doctor-administered, in-hospital committees. Unfortunately, reviewing physicians are often limited by conflict of interest and a general lack of empowerment. Recognizing recent high-profile abuses makes it apparent that the process must be revised.

PCN is the only consultative firm dedicated solely to the evaluation of the appropriateness of cardiovascular invasive procedures. We are the industry leader in appropriateness of care models, which are based upon our proprietary data collection systems. While quality of care is often controversial, our institutional review of a statistically significant group of patients clearly allows for demonstration of trends and system abuses.

top

To protect the integrity and viability of cardiovascular interventional procedures at hospitals nationwide by providing evaluation, data collection and corrective measure consulting services to hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare entities.

top

All PCN physician-reviewers are selected on the basis of their academic reputation and are actively engaged in the practice of the specialty they review. Our reviewers are board-certified in the subspecialty they evaluate, whether it is interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, or cardiac surgery. Our opinions are based on the recommendations of national organizations, current literature, and the general practice in the community. Furthermore our administrative staff has sought additional training and certification from quality-of-care medical review boards.

top

• In an era of increasing government and media scrutiny, PCN provides the hospital and medical staff leadership with a preemptive opportunity to identify inappropriate care and take corrective measures.
• PCN ensures confidence in the community that the selected healthcare institution provides only appropriate cardiovascular intervention and/or surgical care that is required.
• PCN demonstrates that the hospital has not been neglectful in its duties to monitor the safety of patients, and thus serious ethical and legal ramifications may be averted.
• PCN provides contracting hospitals with unbiased reports of those physicians performing inappropriate invasive cardiac procedures and operations, which can be used as supporting documentation and background material.
• PCN provides a marketing advantage for hospitals that have completed the process of Appropriateness of Care® review.
  
  

top

PCN offers hospital administrators and medical staff committees an unbiased overview of the appropriateness of cardiovascular procedures being performed at a contracting institution. Through our review process, we identify if cardiac procedures and operations are appropriate. If abuses occur, we provide the data to allow immediate action to remedy the situation. This process may mitigate potentially catastrophic and expensive liabilities from eventual and inevitable reviews by private payers and, ultimately, government agencies.

Our review process is designed to identify physicians who have a pattern of performing inappropriate cardiac procedures and surgeries. Although our reviews and contracts are standardized, they can be adjusted to serve the particular uniqueness of your institution.