Healthcare Credentialing In 2022: A Complete Guide

Healthcare credentialing is so important that the whole goodwill of the medical organizations and the health and well-being of the patients depend on it to some very extent.

Credentialing is an essential part even in our everyday life. Without doing proper provider credentialing, the medical organizations may face many problems that compromise patients’ well-being and incur a financial loss to the organizations. So without any further ado let’s move on to further details.

What Is Healthcare Credentialing?

Credentialing is the process of establishing the qualifications of licensed medical professionals and assessing their background and legitimacy. Credentialing is the process of granting a designation, such as a certificate or a license, by assessing an individual’s knowledge, skill, or performance level. 

In the healthcare industry Credentialing is defined as “a formal process that employs a set of guidelines to ensure that patients receive the best possible care from healthcare professionals who have undergone the most stringent scrutiny regarding their ability to practice medicine”.

It may include granting and reviewing specific clinical privileges, and allied health staff members.

RELATED: 6 INCREDIBLE TIPS FOR MEDICAL CREDENTIALING SUCCESS

Types Of Credentialing

The 4 common types of credentialing are,

• Medical/insurance credentialing
• Personnel credentialing
• Political credentialing, and 
• Paper credentialing

In these four types, medical/insurance credentialing comes under the healthcare credentialing process. Healthcare credentialing is also called medical credentialing, physician credentialing, or doctor credentialing.

It is usually associated with verifying the details/authorizing physicians. But practice management systems are similarly implemented for nurses and other healthcare providers. 

Why Is Credentialing Important In Healthcare?

It improves patients’ trust in providers

The most important thing in the healthcare system is the trust between medical professionals and patients. Without it, nothing works in this particular field.

This trust creates a safe space for patients to open up and talk about the perceptions of their health and seek better care. Patients won’t always know everything about their chosen doctor and they put full faith in them. And without proper credentialing, this might get damaged.

Prevention of financial losses

Partnering with insurance careers is necessary for medical organizations. To be considered for reimbursements, the physicians or other healthcare professionals are required to submit a list of verifications.

Failing to do proper credentialing on the healthcare professionals can result in insurance carriers not reimbursing medical officers that bill for the professional and it paves way for financial losses.

It reduces medical errors

Credentialing physicians properly helps in reducing medical errors from happening due to the incompetence of the healthcare professionals. Many lives of patients can be saved even from minor errors and thus savins the healthcare organization’s reputation and revenue.

Ensures the fitness of the physicians

Regular credentialing and re-credentialing help in keeping the best-fitted physicians in the run. Physicians need to be updated and well-equipped for situations like pandemics and other emergency situations.

Their knowledge and capabilities for the changing trends and time should be verified time-to-time.

Protects healthcare organizations from potential threats

In many states of the U.S., some laws require credentials on legal documents like prescriptions and medical records.

Professional activities like speaking engagements, legal testimonies, and research publications are also covered by these laws. Without doing proper credentialing, the hospitals may miss abiding by the rules given by the laws. 

Credentialing ensures that a healthcare organization adheres to the letter of law. 

Apart from these, there are other importances to credentialing such as electronic credentialing helps organizations save costs, it is also used in the hiring process by providers and medical groups, it increases the reputation of health practitioners, it improves the practices’ business and it also makes the restrictions fewer on services done by physicians.

Challenges of Healthcare Credentialing

The most common challenges in the healthcare/medical credentialing services are

• Errors in data entries
• Managing the timing and planning accordingly
• Feeding wrong information
• Missing crucial information while inputting
• Documentations that are done improperly

Let’s Wrap It Up

Healthcare credentialing is becoming more important as the causes of medical errors is been increasing in recent years. Also, healthcare organizations are constantly looking for ways to ensure patient safety, reduce costs, and safeguard themselves from any future financial losses.

By assessing and confirming the qualification of healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations can save themselves from liabilities, fiscal loss, incompetent healthcare providers, compliance violations, and unwanted lawsuits.

Visit CapMinds to make your practice protected legally by using authorized and customized services.

“Let’s make your healthcare services better, together”