Medical credentialing is the establishment of the qualifications of different licensed professionals. This is done to recognize their legitimacy by assessing and running a check on their background.
Medical practices that manage their patient records through an electronic health record (EHR) system are more organized than a paper-based office. The adoption of electronic health records has revolutionized the way physician practices provide health care services.
Credentialing has become very important for medical practices. Credentialing is a process of verifying the professional portfolio of a healthcare provider. Medical practices and hospitals are now legally bound to verify the provider identity, educational documents, work experience, and license details.
Credentialing in healthcare is a process of reviewing physicians’ qualifications, experience, training, and licensure. It is a formal process that authenticates that the physician has the required education, training, and specialty certificates to provide care and have no malpractice history.
Medical credentialing is a process by which medical providers validate the qualification and experience of a physician, nurse or medical assistant. The credentialing process is mostly performed when a new physician joins a healthcare organization.
Medical assistants or physician assistants perform a number of clinical and administrative tasks at a medical facility. In the past, medical assistants used to be unlicensed workers but now they must be certified and qualified to perform their duties.
The physician credentialing process is an important phase and requires organized efforts to complete it successfully. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), demand for physicians, nursing staff and medical assistants is expected to grow by 11% in the coming years and the healthcare sector must be ready to handle provider credentialing.