Bulletin: February 1, 2010
New Data Available for Background Checks
Beginning March 1, a national database containing background checks on licensed medical professionals from all 50 states will be available for hospitals to examine.
Currently, hospitals can access the National Practitioner Data Base (NPDB). This includes records for physicians and dentists that are reported by state and federal agencies and health plans, including license or privilege suspensions and malpractice payments. Now, more restricted access data from the Healthcare Integrity Protection Data Bank (HIPDB), which records adverse licensure actions for all medical professionals, including nurses and technicians, will be added to the NPDB for hospitals to examine.
The data is collected by multiple sources, including malpractice payers, state licensing and certification boards, and hospitals. It will be available to hospitals, state medical and dental boards, health plans, and self-queries from medical professionals. Other businesses, such as healthcare staffing companies, will usually not have access to the data.
See the Health Resources and Services Administration CFR for further details.