Every few years, in Australia and elsewhere in the world, there’s a high-profile case of medical malpractice. Usually, it’s negligence that is on trial, but every once in a while, it’s the medical practitioner and their credentials under the microscope.
It’s every company that operates in the health care industry’s worst nightmare, but it is a very preventable problem. Here’s how you can take steps in healthcare qualification verification to improve your company’s credentialling process, keep your patients safer, and avoid messy and costly law suits.
What Is Credentialling?
Credentialling is a process used in the Australian healthcare sector that takes the typical employee background check to the next level. While employees will still undergo routine checks when interviewing for health care positions, many employers also have an in-depth credentialling process that may include any or all of the following:
- Detailed and in depth education reference checks.
- Verification of healthcare certificates, diplomas, and degrees, whether obtained in Australia or elsewhere in the world.
- If obtained elsewhere in the world, employers may conduct checks on the educational institution itself.
- Reference checks for internships or volunteer work, whether obtained or conducted in Australia or abroad.
- If membership in professional bodies are required for the specific role, the employer will ensure that the candidate is a member in good standing.
- If continuing education is a requirement for the role, the employer will ensure that the candidate has met their target.
- Many employers may also conduct a check to ensure that there are no current or pending complaints against a candidate.
In addition to all these credential checks, private and public sector hospitals and clinics will probably require candidates to undergo medical checks, as well as criminal record checks, and possibly several other types of healthcare qualification verification.
Why Is Credentialling Required?
Medical institutions in Australia recognize that they have a responsibility to their patients, to provide the very best care possible. In order to do so, they need to be sure that they are hiring the best, most qualified general and specialist practitioners, and credentialling helps to make that possible.
Not only can this help to keep patients safe and healthy, which is their ultimate goal, it’s also critical to ensure that the company in question cannot be accused of a failure to follow due diligence best practices, in the event that something does go wrong, and there is a lawsuit.
Other Ways That Credentialling Helps
Credentialling has big benefits for medical professionals, the companies that hire them and their patients, but it also has other benefits.
Conducting a thorough check into the background of medical candidates can help to reveal skills and experience that may otherwise go unnoticed, and that can help to narrow the focus of the role, and define a detailed scope of clinical practice. Getting the right people in the right roles is beneficial to everyone involved!
Ongoing Credentialling
Credentialling is not a onetime event, but rather a career long process that helps to ensure that medical practitioners are always properly positioned to provide quality care. Whether it is an annual update of your files or peer reviews, there are many ways you can use credentialling in your practice, clinic, or hospital, to improve the service and care you provide.
