
HealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsDeliver custom or industry designed product training directly to patient and resident care environments to reinforce proper use.
View All ProductsTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsCreate engaging and impactful learning experiences that meet the unique needs of your acute care staff.
View All ProductsExperience standardized and centralized healthcare provider credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsFinally, a comprehensive resource to support collecting, storing, and sharing credentialing data with ease.
View All ProductsHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreWhen it comes to healthcare providers, expertise and specialties play crucial roles in their professional development and how they are promoted within organizations. In this blog post, we outline several considerations to help organizations understand the distinction between expertise and specialties, and how they relate to privileging and branding of healthcare providers.
Healthcare providers can acquire expertise through various means, including formal training programs, informal training, and hands-on experience. In many organizations, expertise is closely tied to a provider's desired area of practice or their aspirations for career advancement. However, when establishing criteria for privileging, medical staffs often require the completion of specialty or subspecialty training programs. It's important to note that providers may also obtain training outside of these formal programs, especially in cases where specific procedures were not yet developed at the time of their training. For example, surgeons who completed their programs before the widespread use of robotic surgery might have acquired expertise in this modality through informal training programs sponsored by technology vendors.
Additionally, providers who have completed specialty or subspecialty programs may not have expertise in all procedures due to limited experience during their training. This highlights the need for organizations to carefully consider how they promote and brand their providers to the public.
Each organization may have its own criteria for determining whether a provider can be promoted in a particular area of expertise. For instance, while there may not be unique privileges specifically associated with the care of geriatric patients that are different from those provided by internists, an organization might decide to promote only internists who have received fellowship training in geriatric care as having that specific expertise.
Regulatory bodies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission have established guidelines to ensure fair and consistent privileging decisions. CMS regulations require the governing body to consider recommendations from existing medical staffs members and base privileging decisions on criteria such as character, competence, training, experience, and judgment. They also emphasize that professional privileges should not solely depend on certification, fellowship, or membership in specialty bodies or societies. These requirements are reflected in the standards of hospital accreditors.
When developing privilege forms and criteria, organizations should keep certain considerations in mind. Privileges should be organized by specialty rather than medical staff departments to ensure clarity. Objective criteria should be established, allowing for consistent and uniform application. These criteria should include required education, training, and, when appropriate, clinical activity and outcomes. Privileges within a specialty should have similar criteria and requirements, accurately representing the majority of practitioners in that field. Detailed definitions of privileges should be provided to facilitate monitoring and prevent providers from exceeding the scope of their granted privileges.
Determining criteria for expertise requires organizations to establish requirements for the areas of emphasis or expertise they wish to promote. This may involve specific training or experience. Some organizations may focus on board certifications and training rather than highlighting areas of expertise. However, organizations must exercise caution when promoting providers with specific expertise on their websites, as they bear responsibility for verifying and endorsing that expertise.
To assist with managing specialties and expertise, platforms like CredentialStream® offer record areas within provider profiles. Specialty records interact with credential and license records, while expertise records allow organizations to maintain information on providers' areas of interest. Although expertise information stored in CredentialStream is limited and not subject to primary source verification, it can still aid in organizing and managing provider qualifications.
Understanding the distinction between expertise and specialties is vital in the healthcare industry. By establishing clear criteria, promoting transparency, and adhering to regulatory guidelines, healthcare organizations can ensure they provide accurate representation of provider qualifications, deliver high-quality care, and meet the expectations of patients and the public. If you’d like more information on managing provider qualifications in CredentialStream, we’re here to help.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's provider credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions for healthcare organizations.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare provider credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All Products