An Act to amend the medical peer review law

This bill amends Massachusetts medical peer review laws to increase transparency regarding internal hospital reviews of medical care. It allows injured patients, their families, and attorneys to request access to peer review records and permits these documents to be used in court to refresh witness memories. While the reports themselves remain confidential and cannot be used as direct evidence of negligence, the bill allows testimony about the reviews and requires that original documents not be shielded from legal discovery. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that documents presented to these committees can still be subpoenaed in lawsuits against committee members or in professional board investigations.