Develop core privileges for AHPs
The following is an excerpt from Core Privileges for AHPs: Develop and Implement Criteria-Based Privileging for Nonphysician Practitioners, Third Edition.
The privileging of non-physician healthcare professionals poses challenges that differ from those encountered when privileging physicians. Before an organization can focus on credentialing and privileging these types of practitioners, it is essential to have a broad understanding of the issues related to the various disciplines of non-physician healthcare professionals.
Over the years, the following have emerged as trouble spots or stumbling blocks in this area:
- The lack of a clear definition of the types of practitioners who require privileging
- The wide range of clinical scopes defined by healthcare organizations
- Varying and unclear licensure requirements from state to state
- An increasing number of physicians employing non-physician healthcare practitioners for clinical assistance
Understanding recent and ongoing changes in healthcare will also help organizations chart future courses for utilizing these practitioners.
The importance of identifying applicable state statutes for all non-physician healthcare professionals cannot be overemphasized. It is paramount that organizations understand the difference between what scope of practice is permitted by the state licensing organization and what clinical privileges will be permitted by the healthcare facility.
In recent years, many pieces of state and federal legislation have been introduced for non-physician healthcare professionals, particularly advanced practice professionals (APP), that propose:
- Expansion of their scopes of practice
- Extending the level of their clinical independence
- Entitling more categories to direct reimbursement
Many of these efforts have been successful. For example, the number of states allowing nurse practitioners (NP) to practice independently is increasing every year.
The changing services provided by healthcare organizations have also affected non-physician healthcare professionals’ credentialing. These changes have prompted extended utilization in a variety of settings that are no longer solely within the domain of the acute care facility. Increasing numbers of physicians are recognizing the benefits to be gained by allowing an expansion of scope for APPs and are approaching healthcare organizations, seeking approval for them to provide additional services within that setting.