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NAMSS recommends change to NPDB reports

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, May 24, 2007

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The National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) recommended this month that Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) and National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) query reports include a list of all entities that have queried individual providers, according to the organization's Web site.

Healthcare organizations frequently use such databases to gather information about applicants. The healthcare organizations then use the data found in these sources (e.g., reportable disciplinary actions taken against the provider, etc.) to make credentialing and privileging decisions. But, since the providers themselves report the data to the databases, says NAMSS, there is a concern that a provider could omit information to hide a past disciplinary action.

"By including this list of entities, credentialing and privileging staff can compare a list of prior affiliations submitted by the provider to that list of querying organizations. Any discrepancies will act as a red flag for further follow-up on a provider's past records," says NAMSS.

NAMSS' recommendation was submitted in response to Health Resources and Services Administration's call for comments in the March 12 Federal Register, and is available on the NAMSS Web site. To read more, click here.

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