Healthcare organizations face a myriad of challenges when it comes to the credentialing process, according to SkillSurvey's latest healthcare organization survey.
For the March survey, the reference checking firm asked more than 300 National Association Medical Staff Services members and other healthcare leaders about their credentialing process.
Here are six survey findings.
1. The survey found 84 percent of medical staff services professionals said it takes at least between five to six weeks to privilege one medical provider. That's a 17 percent increase in time compared to findings from SkillSurvey's 2016 poll.
2. Seventy-seven percent of respondents use automation for primary source verification but only 37 percent use an automated credentialing committee review, SkillSurvey said.
3. The survey found 73 percent of respondents said at least one step in their credentialing process is now digital.
"This means that more than a quarter of the market is not using any electronic credentialing process at all, and it is still uncommon to find an organization that conducts its entire process digitally," Ray Bixler, president and CEO of SkillSurvey, said in a news release. "While hospitals and other healthcare organizations are becoming more digital, many are still using outmoded methods that slow down the hiring process, negatively impact the patient experience and ultimately leave money on the table when practitioners sit on the bench."
4. Less than half (44 percent) of respondents are receiving completed applications in one to two weeks or less when using an automated credentialing process.
5. A vast majority (60 percent) of respondents said they experienced time savings following digital adoption, and 59 percent said they saw quicker turnaround times. Fifty-five percent said they saw "improved ease of use for credentialing staff."
6. Overall, the survey found only 35 percent of respondents were neutral or unhappy with their existing credentialing process.
Read the full survey findings here.