Delegated credentialing is an important practice in healthcare that helps streamline the credentialing process for healthcare organizations. It allows healthcare organizations to delegate this process to a contracted third-party organization, reducing the burden of credentialing on the organization itself. In this article, we’ll delve into what a delegated credentialing contract is, and why it is important for healthcare organizations.
What is a Delegated Credentialing Contract?
In a delegated credentialing contract, a healthcare organization contracts with a third-party organization, typically a managed care organization or health plan, to perform the credentialing process for the organization. The healthcare organization provides the third party with the necessary information about its clinical staff, and the third party then verifies credentials, including education, licensure, certification, and work history. The third party creates a credentialing report for the healthcare organization, which includes a summary of the verification process and any findings.
The healthcare organization then reviews the report to determine whether to grant or deny privileges to the clinical staff member. The third party is then responsible for monitoring the clinical staff member on an ongoing basis, ensuring that their credentials remain valid and up-to-date.
Why is Delegated Credentialing Important?
In today’s healthcare landscape, there is a growing demand for high-quality and cost-effective care. Delegated credentialing plays a critical role in meeting this demand by streamlining the credentialing process. By outsourcing the credentialing process, healthcare organizations can focus their resources on providing quality care, rather than spending time on administrative tasks. Additionally, delegated credentialing can help healthcare organizations reduce the risk of liability by ensuring that their clinical staff members are properly credentialed and licensed.
Moreover, delegated credentialing can help healthcare organizations to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements, such as those set by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) or the Joint Commission. These regulatory bodies require healthcare organizations to verify the credentials of their clinical staff members before granting privileges.
In Conclusion
Delegated credentialing is a crucial process in healthcare, as it enables healthcare organizations to efficiently and effectively verify the credentials of their clinical staff members. By contracting with a third party to perform the credentialing process, healthcare organizations can focus their resources on providing quality care without worrying about administrative tasks. If you are a healthcare organization looking to streamline your credentialing process, consider a delegated credentialing contract to help manage the workload and reduce the risk of liability.