HIPAA compliant email in credentialing and privileging healthcare staff

Email facilitates the transfer of documentation and information in the credentialing and privileging process, which hinges on consistent and effective communication.

What are credentialing and privileging in healthcare staff? 

A doctoral dissertation from the University of Wisconsin provides that, “Credentialing is the process of checking and verifying providers had the required licenses, certifications, education, and qualifications to perform the job they were being hired to do. Privileging is the process of authorizing a licensed provider approval to practice specific patient care services in a healthcare facility.”

Privileging decisions are made by a credentialing committee or a similar one within the organizations that assess the providers' competency. The process is standard in almost all healthcare settings. 

The role of email in the credentialing and privileging confirmation process

During credentialing, email allows for the request and transfer of necessary documents to confirm the healthcare provider's credentials in question. Through quick communication, the process becomes more effective and traceable. The privileging process also benefits from the secure internal communication between the committee members and administrative staff. Under the assumption that the organization is using HIPAA compliant email, it also assures that the providers' private information is protected. 

Best practices

1. Use an email tracking system that can automatically log incoming and outgoing emails related to credentialing and privileging. 
2. Develop standardized templates for the most common communications like initial contact, requests for additional information, and status updates. 
3. Only ever use HIPAA compliant email systems to send and receive information even if it doesn't relate to patient information. 
4. Use email segmentation strategies to categorize and manage emails by priority. 
5. Use digital signatures like those offered by Paubox Forms. 

See also: Top 12 HIPAA compliant email services

FAQs

What is a digital signature? 

It is a cryptographic mechanism used to verify the authenticity of a digital document. 

What are electronic signatures? 

It is a form of digital signature. 

What is email segmentation?

It is dividing email recipients based on specific criteria like behavior and demographics.