Since qualified and reputable doctors are in such demand from medical establishments, it is important to refer to medical credentialing to accomplish this. The process is one that looks at the merits and historical data of medical practitioners and determines if they are able to uphold their organization’s reputation for offering good healthcare.

Is this process really thorough enough to tell a hospital or other organization whether the practitioner is qualified to provide health care? The only way to know for sure is to analyze all the elements of this process and decide whether or not it really is enough.

The steps of medical credentialing start by examining the educational history of the doctor, then the residency, licenses and any additional training. Special attention is also paid to any certificates awarded specific to their specialty. When compared to the generally accepted norms in the field, the practitioner’s qualifications should measure up.

Medical credentialing begins by collecting general information on the background and qualifications of the medical practitioner. This includes more than just doctors. Credentialing applies to chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, psychotherapists, and anyone else that practices in the medical field.

After the data has been collected from the professionals, it has to go through a process that verifies it next to other credible, truthful sources such as the American Board of Medical specialties or the National Practitioner Data Bank. In this way, hearsay or preference is taken out of the picture completely.

The next step in the credentialing process requires that contact is made with the institutions or organizations that the practitioner has had an experience with. This means contacting the states that issued a medical license to the doctor or the schools, hospitals, and other organizations that the doctor was a part of. This is the only way to make sure there is no limitations imposed on the doctor, and that he or she received and completed all the requisite education and training.

Once that is completed, the review process can begin. Medical credentialing goes much further than just checking out the practitioner’s grades at medical school. This review process involves discovering how they actually performed throughout their careers. This requires examining personal conduct history, malpractice coverage and history, hospital privileges that may have been revoked, and their overall work history.

Medical credentialing can get complicated with every state, hospital, and insurance company espousing different rules, forms, and standards. The bureaucracy can really start to get complicated, which is why many companies that specialize in credentialing services have started to appear. It may be difficult, but organizations are learning quickly that the process will help them provide reliable, quality health care.

More Medical Coding Articles