Credentialing is Evolving in a Changing Healthcare Landscape

The world of healthcare is changing, and so is the way we credential medical staff.

Automation, integration, and smart systems are transforming credentialing into a streamlined process that gets providers in front of patients faster than ever. While progress has been made, there’s still a lot of room to do better. Curious about what’s next in the future of medical staff credentialing?

Read our newest report, which reveals critical insights into the evolving landscape of provider credentialing. Our 2025 Trends in Medical Staff Credentialing report, based on feedback from 664 credentialing professionals, offers a comprehensive look at trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the credentialing and privileging process.

Tracking and Measuring Onboarding Efficiency

Surprisingly, only 38% of organizations track provider onboarding timelines, according to our survey data. This is despite the fact that delays in onboarding can lead to lost revenue and provider dissatisfaction. Furthermore, 82% of organizations said they either do not calculate or are unaware of the financial impact of improved onboarding times.

Improving onboarding speed can minimize delays in clinical service delivery, reducing revenue loss associated with unbilled patient-care activities. For example, aligning credentialing, enrollment, and onboarding processes can accelerate time-to-revenue and help organizations forecast operational impact more accurately.

Recruiting and Retaining Credentialing Professionals

Staffing shortages remain a persistent challenge for medical staff services departments. Finding experienced credentialing professionals was cited as the top recruitment challenge by 77% of survey respondents.

Many organizations have embraced remote or hybrid work to attract talent, with 68% of credentialing professionals working in flexible environments.

To address these workforce gaps, the industry must raise awareness about credentialing as a career path, improve career development opportunities, and invest in succession planning.

Automation Revolutionizing Credentialing Workflows

Automation is starting to shift how credentialing departments operate. Applications that prepopulate data allow providers to complete forms in less time. We discovered that provider onboarding is moving at a faster pace, with the survey revealing a 7% increase in applications submitted within 10 days.

Automated primary source verification is also speeding up processing timelines, with 35% of respondents completing this step in 15 days or less, compared to 29% just five years ago. Database support is improving. Nearly half (48%) of the organizations we surveyed now employ IT specialists dedicated to automating credentialing tasks, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2020.

By adopting more automation tools, organizations can reduce administrative burdens, accelerate onboarding, and provide a seamless experience for both providers and patients.

The Role of Data Integration in Enhancing Operational Efficiency

Integration of credentialing with other systems—including scheduling, electronic medical records (EMRs), and billing platforms—is a growing priority for healthcare organizations. However, current adoption rates highlight significant opportunities for improvement. Only 11% of respondents have fully integrated credentialing with physician scheduling systems. However, more than half (53%) have integrated credentialing data with EMRs and billing applications.

Integrated systems eliminate siloed data and ensure that only credentialed providers are assigned to clinical duties, which improves accuracy and compliance.

Investing in a unified enterprise-wide database can serve as the “single source of truth" for credentialing data. It reduces duplication, strengthens compliance, and simplifies interdepartmental coordination.

The Shift Toward Provider-Centric Solutions

Providers are increasingly benefiting from credentialing tools designed with their experience in mind.

Digital “portfolios” or “wallets” simplify data management and allow providers to store, update, and share their credentials with ease. Yet, adoption remains low. Only 20% of organizations have deployed provider-focused information management systems.

Most healthcare providers still face administrative burdens that detract from their time spent delivering care. That’s why streamlining the provider experience should be a top priority because it enhances provider satisfaction and retention. Shorter onboarding times and intuitive systems build trust and reduce frustration between providers and credentialing departments.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

While technological advancements are being introduced in credentialing, barriers such as resource constraints, competing priorities, and resistance to change persist. Organizations must prioritize process optimization. Moving toward paperless workflows and enterprise-standardized applications can streamline credentialing tasks.

Leaders also need to invest in training. Upskilling teams on new tools and technologies will be essential to successful implementation.

To help fuel growth, medical staff leaders must advocate for the value of medical staff services in improving patient care and driving revenue.

Preparing for the Future of Credentialing

The evolution of medical staff credentialing is well underway, but there’s more work to be done. By automating processes, integrating systems, and adopting provider-focused solutions, healthcare organizations can be more efficient and better serve both providers and patients. Leaders in this space must continue to prioritize innovation and collaboration to meet the demands of an increasingly complex healthcare environment.

Interested in learning more?

Download HealthStream’s 2025 Trends in Medical Staff Credentialing and discover actionable strategies to elevate your credentialing practices and prepare for the future.