HSM-542 Week 2 Discussion 1: Delineation of Clinical Privileges and Discussion 2: Ethics Committee (GRADED)

HSM-542 Week 2 Discussion 1: Delineation of Clinical Privileges According to this week’s lesson, the credentialing and privileging of physicians or medical staff is the responsibility of the board of directors. First step is the credentialing process, which reviews the verification of license, education, training, and experience (Showalter, 2017) of the candidate. “Medical staff credentialing is one of the most important tasks boards undertake to ensure quality of care in their organizations” (Boardroom Basics, n.d.). In order to determine that a physician applicant is qualified and competent, the hospital medical staff needs to go through the physician’s qualifications to make sure they match up with the requirements set forth by the hospital. This includes: • Education • Residency and fellowship experiences • Privileges at other healthcare organizations • Verification of professional liability insurance • History of any malpractice claims • Quality of care data collected at other healthcare organizations • Professional references • Other information as defined by the healthcare organization Once a practitioner is credentialed and all this information has been confirmed, the physician’s skills need to be evaluated to ensure that the candidate is proficient and can competently meet the needs of the facility. This will take place as part of the privileging process. This process reviews a physician's capability to deliver specific services and medical procedures (Showalter, 2017). Regular reappointment of the medical staff is important for patient safety because it ensures that they stay up to date and relevant on the latest knowledge and techniques. The re-credentialing process is important because it: • Helps to increase patient safety • Provides for a better quality of care • Reduces the risk of lawsuits that results from medical errors Sources: Boardroom Basics. (n.d.). Medical Staff Credentialing. Retrieved from