Suggested questions to ask applicants in the clinical interview
An application for appointment to the medical staff and/or clinical privileges has four main phases in its passage through the review stage: the department chair's review, the credentials committee's review, the medical executive committee's (MEC's) review, and the board's review and final decision.
Credentials committee members should be familiar with the nuances of each element of a credentials file-especially letters of reference, which sometimes hide as much as they reveal about the abilities and character of the applicant. The credentials committee's review is the most searching and systematic of all of the reviews; its members examine any potential problems that letters of reference, adverse actions, or peer review might reveal. The credentials committee's review might seem redundant, in that the department chair has already looked over the file's elements; however, this committee is far better equipped to dedicate the necessary time to weighing each element of the applicant's file.
When necessary, the credentials committee may meet informally with the applicant to conduct a clinical interview, providing the opportunity to discuss the practitioner's application, qualifications, and the scope of the clinical privileges he or she requested.
The following are suggested questions for credentials committee members to ask in a clinical interview:
Ask the applicant to explain any gaps in his or her education, training, or practice experience, and for the names of individuals who could be contacted to confirm the applicant's explanation (e.g., the treating physician, if illness is given as the reason).
Ask the applicant to explain frequent moves-why he or she left training programs, group practices, or hospital staffs-and ask for the names of individuals who could be contacted to confirm the applicant's explanation.
If the applicant has not been recruited to the area by the hospital, ask what initially attracted the applicant to the geographic area and to your hospital in particular.
Ask how the applicant plans to use the hospital, and ask how the hospital fits into his or her overall hospital practice.
Follow up on, and press the applicant for, answers to any questions that arise out of information in the application or any confidential evaluations or reference letters. (Do not volunteer to the applicant the names of those who gave negative references.)
If the applicant is not board-certified, ask whether he or she has applied to take the exam, or has taken the exam and failed.
Credentials committee members must carefully weigh comments and opinions of current medical staff members in light of any possible personal or economic bias. If there are inconsistencies between these informal comments and information provided by the applicant's references, the committee should carefully discuss with the individual staff members the basis for their concerns. The committee should discuss any inconsistencies with the applicant during the clinical interview without revealing the names of those who have expressed concern.
Editor's note: Subscribers to CPDR have access to various forms that aid them in performing credentialing and verification tasks. If you are not yet a CPDR subscriber and would like to sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here.
