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Tips for the applicant interview

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, January 4, 2007

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Some inexperienced credentials committees encounter certain awkwardness in conducting an interview with an applicant as part of the credentialing process for initial appointment and/or granting of privileges. Nevertheless, including interviews as a routine part of your organization's credentialing process, and asking the right types of questions at the interview, provides a key opportunity to discuss any potential concerns or outstanding questions that have arisen as a part of the credentialing verification and collection process.

While the interview may be very informal, the medical service professional can provide assistance to medical staff leaders by formalizing the committee's questions with a standardized "script" or questionnaire (which can be adapted as needed for the individual applicant). Such a tool can be a benefit to even the most seasoned medical staff leaders.

In addition to discussing the practitioner's qualifications and reviewing the clinical privileges requested, the credentials committee should also be addressing any of the following concerns that may be in the practitioner's credentials file, and asking the applicant for an explanation of:

-          Any gaps in education, training, and/or practice (the organization can determine how significant a gap triggers cause for concern)

-          Frequent moves or relocations

-          Changes in training programs

-          An unusual number of state licenses

-          Any red flags arising from the verification process(such as discrepancies between the information the applicant submitted and information obtained through references or verifications)

-          Whether an applicant who is not board certified plans to take the exam and when  (Note: the application should disclose whether or not the applicant has already taken the exam and failed)

-          Any aspect of the applicant's malpractice history which raises concerns

If your organization's credentialing policy and procedure requires an interview, failure on the part of the applicant to attend the interview would constitute an incomplete application. The applicant should be notified that the application cannot be processed and is thus deemed incomplete.

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