Quality criteria for medical staff admission: a beginning.

Pressures influencing the size and composition of medical staffs are increasing as hospitals and physicians respond to competition, market priorities, increasing numbers of physicians, and quality-of-care concerns. This article examines whether the quality of care provided by an applicant may be the primary criterion for admission to a hospital's medical staff. Methodological, legal, and organizational concerns that arise from this approach are reviewed. A quality criteria approach can assist in responding to increasing numbers of physicians, the transition to management care, and the marketing interests of a hospital.