Becker's Hospital Review

61 Executive Briefing ing. A survey of nearly 500 healthcare leaders found 67 percent of credential- ing processes for a single physician took between five and six weeks to complete, according to SkillSurvey's research. By using automated processes to complete credentialing, hospitals could reduce their credentialing time by nearly 50 percent, SkillSurvey found. Since it is often the first official interaction between an employer and new employee, the onboarding and credentialing process can significantly influence physicians' pro- fessional satisfaction. But many hospitals struggle to make onboarding and creden- tialing pleasant and efficient. About one in three physicians reported a poor cre- dentialing experience, according to Skill- Survey's research. Automation tools that support a streamlined credentialing pro- cess with fewer hurdles can help hospitals make newly hired physicians' first experi- ences with the organization positive ones. 2. Long credentialing timeframes are costly Inefficient credentialing can hurt hospital revenue cycle functions. Human resourc- es may complete the hiring process be- fore credentialing is approved. When this happens, physicians can begin earning a salary but are prevented from treating patients and generating revenue for the facility. A hired but sidelined physician can cost a hospital up to $30,000 on aver- age per week, according to SkillSurvey's research. Improved credentialing time- frames achieved through automated pro- cesses can help organizations capitalize on physician-generated revenue sooner and decrease financial waste. 3. Lack of standardization can heighten hospitals' compliance risk Medical board rules and requirements vary from state to state, making it ex- tremely difficult to hold physician appli- cants from different parts of the country to a single set of credentialing standards. Incorrectly or poorly managed credential- ing and enrollment processes put hospi- tals at risk for compliance violations and even liability of a false claim. There is in- creased compliance and liability risk due to incomplete or contradicting documen- tation. More than half of U.S. states recog- nize negligent credentialing as a reason for litigation against hospitals, according to the Physician Insurance Agency of Mas- sachusetts (PIAM) bulletin on malpractice. Advanced Cloud-based Tools Can Re- solve Credentialing Woes While online reference checking has gained momentum in the past decade, hospitals are beginning to realize the val- ue of partnering with human resources IT companies like SkillSurvey to support their credentialing and recruitment personnel. Automated technology that enables MSOs to standardize credentialing processes can help hospitals improve resource allocation and mitigate compliance risk. "The best [health] systems recog- nize their hiring processes need to be thought out and efficient and enjoyable, and they are investing dollars to make sure they are, " Mr. Bixler says. Mr. Bixler recommends hospitals invest in IT infrastructure with the following four capabilities to meet changing recruiting and credentialing demands. Mobile-first. A mobile-first platform means that peer references, third-party verification sources, credentialing teams and department chairs and committee members can review data presented in a dashboard that can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet, laptop and similar devices. For example, physician review staff can access a secure dashboard that lets them conveniently review credentials files and make membership and privileg- ing recommendations on-the-go. Using Credential OnDemand, SkillSur- vey's mobile-first platform, clients saw peer reference responses returned in three days. Hospital recruiting staff ob- tained more thorough, high-quality re- sponses from references because the process is digital, easy to complete and uses hard-stops to ensure submitted forms aren't missing critical information. "Investing in [credentialing] technol- ogy and services that generate faster and more robust responses will have an impact on the quality of information re- ceived as well as reducing the turnaround time for the privileging process," says Jacqueline Lam, director of medical staff services at Mineola, N.Y.-based Winthrop University Hospital, a client of SkillSurvey. Real-time access to insights and data. References and applicant data are upload- ed directly into the platform and available to credentialing staff immediately. Re- viewers have the information to prioritize potential candidates faster, automatic re- minders can be sent for missing informa- tion and reviewers can see potential red flags and issues as they are being resolved. Cloud-based. Utilizing the benefits of the cloud, an enterprisewide credentialing platform enables hospital credentialing and privileging staff, medical providers and administrators to access provider data at any time and in any location and see data updates. This eliminates opportunities for duplication, standardizes documentation processes and enhances collaboration be- tween medical staff services divisions. "Resources from IT, finance, risk manage- ment and human resources all need to work closely with medical staff and pro- vider enrollment in order to coordinate a smooth transition with minimal to no loss of revenue," says Ms. Lam. Cultivates engagement. Hospital sys- tems can support physician retention by using sophisticated credentialing tech- nology to make a complex process less cumbersome and more convenient for applicants and those seeking reappoint- ments or changes to their privileges. This puts hospitals and physicians on good terms as they begin and continue their professional relationship. Conclusion Quality credentialing is a team sport that requires all parts of the MSO work- ing in unison. Updating antiquated, pa- per-based credentialing procedures with automated, mobile-first capabilities can improve process inefficiency, diminish compliance risk, enhance cash-flow and strengthen clinician retention. "Credentialing is a highly fragment- ed process yearning for an enterprise- wide solution," Mr. Bixler says. "Ad- vanced technology can help stressed and pressed teams focus on what real- ly matters — hiring high-quality physi- cians who deliver great patient care." n SkillSurvey speeds hiring with reliable human insights about the candidates our customers may hire. The company's cloud-based referencing and credentialing solutions immediately answer the vital questions that help organizations hire the best people for every role. The leader in online reference checking, SkillSurvey Pre-Hire 360® provides immediately useful insights to make better hiring decisions and SkillSurvey SourceTM, offers new ways to source candidates. SkillSur- vey Credential OnDemandTM simplifies and enhances credentialing for healthcare organizations to save time and money, grow revenues, and help skilled practitioners impact patient care faster. More than 1,400 companies, institutions, and organizations, including 800 healthcare organizations, use SkillSurvey's cloud-based software products.

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