Community Peer Review is routine, confidential, professional, non-punitive, and educational
Peer Review is the candid review and evaluation of midwifery practice by other midwives in our communities.
All NARM Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and CPM applicants are encouraged to attend regular, local, Community Peer Review. Five (5) hours of Community Peer Review or participation in a Peer Review workshop is required for CPM recertification. Community Peer Review is considered routine, confidential, professional, non-punitive, and educational, representing a quality assurance model.
Community Peer Review brings midwives in an area together on a regular basis to discuss cases and learn from each other. Community Peer Review provides a structure for evaluating care delivery and associated outcomes and for identifying approaches to on-going quality improvement for the individual CPM and the local midwifery community. Participation in Community Peer Review represents an opportunity to build cohesiveness and trust within a community, serving as a foundation for continuous quality improvement of midwifery practice.
Well-established Community Peer Reviews provide an opportunity for CPMs to gain knowledge of community standards, identify skill areas in need of improvement, and have opportunities for continuing education with the intention of improving the outcomes and experiences of clients in the care of CPMs. Community Peer Reviews may also serve as a social support network when a CPM has experienced a challenging situation. Having an established Community Peer Review provides a stable environment for professional resources and support.
Confidential Community Peer Review adds to the validity of the CPM credential by representing the commitment of a CPM and the midwifery community to quality assurance and continuous quality improvement. Community Peer Review is a requirement of many state midwifery regulatory agencies and boards.
Consumers of midwifery care must be informed of a CPM’s participation in Community Peer Review as it relates to the possible confidential disclosure of client’s protected health information.