When a physician's readmission rate is significantly higher than their peers, the next step for a quality professional should be to review a sample of recent individual cases of the physician's readmissions (Option D). This will help identify any patterns or issues that could be contributing to the higher readmission rate12.
Reporting the surgeon to the medical board (Option A) is a drastic step that should only be taken if there is evidence of serious misconduct or incompetence. Reviewing the physician's privileges against the procedures performed (Option B) could be useful, but it would not directly address the issue of the high readmission rate.
Comparing the physician's readmission rate with peerphysicians (Option C) has already been done, as stated in the question. Therefore, the most appropriate next step is to review individual cases to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for the high readmission rate345.