The credentialing process can be time-consuming and costly. It is often the main culprit in delaying a service start date.
The single most significant component of credentialing, that impacts the efficiency of completing the approval process, is the number of radiologists assigned by the teleradiology provider.
When a teleradiology company maintains a high retention rate of their radiologists, accompanied by a staffing schedule that is consistent, the degree of redundancy can be reduced. This allows the provider to be confident when limiting the number of radiologists assigned to the hospital or facility. Often, in a mid-sized hospital, no more than 5-7 radiologists need to be credentialed.
The largest teleradiology companies, however, will often designate and credential 20 to 50 radiologists at an equivalent sized hospital or facility. This allows the mega-telerad company more flexibility in scheduling. Excessive credentialing is also a strategy used to restrict competition from any of their radiologists, should they separation. It is not uncommon, with some companies, to have numerous radiologists not provide an exam/report for a facility the have been credentialed.
Teleradiology providers that are Joint Commission accredited, provide added assurance, and can often expedite the approval process. Currently there are only 30 teleradiology companies and radiology groups in the United States that have received Joint Commission accreditation.
Telerad Direct will assist in customizing a strategy that will minimize the requirements of your staff or a hospital credentialing department.
Teleradiology Direct will work with you to customize the credentialing and reappointment processes and, in some cases, provide additional resources beyond that of the provider.
