When it comes to operating a successful medical practice, it is imperative that you consider the various avenues for employing the best physicians possible. Fortunately, one of the simplest ways to go about hiring the most competent doctors is by performing provider credentialing. It is through this type of credentialing that you will be able to verify, compare, and evaluate the qualifications of the doctors you are considering hiring. Here's a closer look at provider credentialing, including what it is, how it works, and its many benefits.
What is Provider Credentialing?
You want to give your patients the best care possible, right? To achieve this goal, you'll need to make sure they are receiving care under today's best physicians, and to pinpoint these doctors, provider credentialing will prove to be of the utmost benefit.
During the provider credentialing process, there are many factors taken into consideration, including:
- Education
- Training
- Residency
- Experience
- Licenses
- Certifications
As to be expected, the higher a provider performs in relation to these factors, the higher his or her credential rating will be. And the higher the credential rating, the easier you can rest assured that your patients will receive the care they need.
It's important to note that provider credentialing is an ongoing process. A one-time verification and evaluation check on your providers won't suffice when it comes to exceeding the needs and expectations of your patients. And not only does this type of credentialing ensure your patients receive top-rated care, but it also speeds up provider reimbursements. In some instances, reimbursement won't be provided if provider credentialing hasn't taken place.
Download: Step-by-step Simple Provider Credentialing Process
Physicians themselves can take advantage of credentialing assistance services. It's important to provide annual credentialing updates as this greatly simplifies being able to stay employed at most health care facilities. And while many facilities have their own credentialing process, many of the involved activities are not synced with other programs, making the entire process inefficient in regards to both time and money. With the right type of software and assistance, however, it becomes possible to reduce the paperwork, time, and money accompanied with provider credentialing. More importantly, it makes it possible to perform the credentialing process in a manner that uses the most up-to-date and accurate data.
Top Tips for Provider Credentialing
It's going to take time: The sooner you get started on the provider credentialing process, the sooner you can receive the results. Credentialing can take months, so you'll need to start early. When hiring a new physician for your practice, you will want to think about the fact that it may take up to three months to verify the doctor's credentials. And depending on your exact policies for hiring, you may not even be able to send an offer of employment until the verification process has been completed. With this in mind, your HR department should be on top of all credentialing practices.
Follow a sustainable process: It doesn't matter how you go about the provider credentialing process, you need to make sure it's sustainable. There are three basic ways to perform the involved processes:
- Do all credentialing yourself
- Purchase or lease credentialing software
- Outsource all involved processes
If you are new to the provider credentialing process, it's important to consider your various options. Your facility's internal resources, as well as your credentialing budget, will both determine the best credentialing avenue to travel. Many healthcare facilities have discovered the benefits of using M-Scribe provider credentialing services. Call us today at 1-888-727-4234 for free consulting on how we can help you.
