Health Affairs, 26, no. 1 (2007): w76-w79 (Published online 5 December 2006) doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.1.w76 © 2007 by Project HOPE	New Online   How Would Obama, McCain Cover The Uninsured?   Debating Cost Of Uninsured   Try Medicare-For-All   HA Blog Top 10

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Medical Staff Organizations: A Persistent Anomaly

Medical staff organizations (MSOs) originated to reconcile hospitals’ hierarchical management structure with the professional autonomy demanded by physicians. MSOs’ primary purpose is to hold physicians collectively accountable for patient safety and clinical performance. However, in an era of declining hospital activity, most physicians no longer understand this. More often, they view the MSO as a political body whose purpose is to foster physicians’ interests with the hospital’s administration and board of trustees. In many hospitals, it is difficult to determine whether the MSO is the key to clinical improvement or the biggest barrier.

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