A Beginners Guide to Privileging
1 . Do medical staff or other clinical leaders – particularly those with responsibilities for making recommendations / decisions related to privileging ( which may include specialty chiefs , department chairs , medical / dental / behavioral health / pharmacy directors , chief medical officers , credentials committee members , MEC members , and governing board members ) receive education related to regulatory and accreditation requirements related to privileging ? Do they get education related to contemporary methods of meeting those requirements ? The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) has very specific requirements related to criteria-based privileging that medical staff and other clinical leaders need to know . They also need to know the various methods of meeting those requirements if they are going to be able to address any deficiencies in their current system .
2 . When was the last time privileges were revised ? If they haven ’ t been revised in the past five years , it may well be an indication that they are outdated .
3 . Is there a consistent methodology in the design of the privileges ? Do some specialties use core / primary privileges while others use laundry lists ? Is there wide variation in the use of criteria among specialties ?
4 . Does the description of the privileges appear to be reasonable based on the type of hospital / healthcare organization ? For example , in a tertiary hospital , one would expect to see the
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