First and on the front lines of the topic, we need to know some facts which can be helpful to evoke us on the serious issue of medical negligence and medical malpractice and they will also help us to understand the importance of primary source verification of our family physicians, doctors or even the hospital medical staff who treats us when we are ill.
Almost 98,000 people die in hospitals annually each year due to preventable medical errors. An interview based survey conducted by the doctors revealed that more than one third of the patients said that they or their family members had experienced medical errors, most leading to serious health consequences. One of the sources also mentioned that in every 10 medical negligence cases 4 people were died, and it's the scariest of all.
As far as the world has developed, the medical advancement is also on the rise but there is a newer pool of diseases had also struck the world in past 3 decades. Many fake medical professionals like doctors, nurses, dentists etc have taken it as an opportunity to fool the innocence of a common man and a patient to make black money, which eventually results in four most common accusations.
1. Failure to diagnose
2. Incorrectly performed procedure
3. Error in diagnosis
4. Failure to perform procedure.
To avoid and restrict these deaths causing accusations a medical employer or even a patient must perform the primary source verification of their doctors and the treating staff.
Doctors and medical staff background check and credentialing through primary source verification methods sound a bit extreme. It is a direct contact with the sources of credentials. For example, this may include, licensing agencies, and specialty boards to guarantee that statements about training, experience and other qualifications are legitimate, unchallenged and appropriate.
Directly contacting a medical school or state medical board to verify education and licensure, respectively, are examples of primary source verification. Primary source verification should be performed on the following core criteria:
1. Professional education, training, Board Certification and experience (e.g. medical school, internship(s), residency(s), board certification)
2. Current Medical licensure
3. Current competence
4. Ability to perform requested privileges (e.g. confirmed health status relative only to a provider's ability to perform the requested privileges).
Professional Qualification, Training and Experience Verification
These elements can be verified by sending letters to each institution individually (professional school, training program, specialty board, etc.). Independent medical background check companies can also be used as their links are very accurate and fast.
Medical License Verification
Primary source verification of licensure status is extremely important. This should always be performed at the time of initial appointment, and at the time of each reappointment and/or re-privileging, and is recommended at the time of license expiration. The following points must be considered while performing PSV:
• Date and time of the license issuance.
• State of licensure, license number, date of original licensure and expiration date
• Name (first and last) of the person initiating the verification call
• Name (first and last) of the person verifying the information
• Are there any current, past, or pending restrictions on the license?
• Are there any current, past, or pending disciplinary actions against the practitioner?
Current Competence verification
This is an element that needs to be assessed by medical employers on the initial appointment and at least every two years thereafter, normally at the time of reappointment/reappraisal. Competency Verification can be sent to the Medical Director or Medical Staff Credentialing office of any hospital that the applicant has been affiliated with in the recent past.
Physical and mental ability to perform requested privileges
Authority must be granted to a physician or dentist by a hospital governing board to provide patient care in the hospital. Clinical privileges are limited by the individual's professional license, experience, and competence.
Conclusion
The primary and the secondary reason for aggressive primary source verification and credentialing of doctors / medical staff is patient's safety!
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