One of the daily credential management tasks at a healthcare facility is to make sure all physicians’ credential documents on file are current and not expired.
Since each doctor can potentially have around a dozen or so documents that can expire, you can imagine that it gets pretty tricky to track all possible expiring documents if you manage more than 10 doctors. On any given week, there's a high likelihood that someone's credentials documents are expiring soon, and it's your job not to let it expire.
If you're not using a system like Silversheet to easily keep track of potentially expiring documents for every doctor file, you might want to at least setup a spreadsheet with associated calendar notifications to have a clear overview of every doctor and every document they have on file that can expire. It can also be useful as a checklist for collecting other documents so you have every physician’s information in one centralized file.
In this article, we will use an example to explore what makes up a well-constructed credentialing spreadsheet. Additionally, a downloadable spreadsheet template can be found at the end of the article.
Introduction to Spreadsheets
Keep track of the status of each individual file’s documents in a well-organized master spreadsheet. A spreadsheet is an electronic document in which data can be organized in rows and columns—think digital graph paper. It is a helpful program for tracking because of it’s color-coding and data manipulation capabilities.
Programs like Microsoft Excel allow you to create offline spreadsheets that are saved as files on your computer. Google Spreadsheets is an online alternative that saves the spreadsheets in the cloud. It is accessible to multiple users at once and has a real-time collaboration feature that automatically shows other people’s changes on your screen as they happen. If there are multiple people organizing the credential files, we suggest using the online option to prevent duplication of efforts.
Here’s what a spreadsheet looks like:
Setting up the Credentialing Spreadsheet
Create a new spreadsheet and give it a title similar to “Physician Files.” Save the spreadsheet in an easily accessible location, where it cannot be accidentally deleted or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Separating with Sheets
To set up a spreadsheet that is easy to navigate through, we will be separating file types by sheets within the spreadsheet. Sheets are to spreadsheets as pages are to books.
It takes one click to view another sheet, and information can be transferred between sheets, if needed. Organizing with sheets will allow for you to find information quickly with minimal scrolling.
Row Layout
Starting with A1, enter all required information and documents moving to the right in the row. Use the “Freeze” tool to lock the first row of the spreadsheet. The freeze tool will keep the first row static when scrolling to help you match the data to the correct field. Repeat for each sheet within the spreadsheet.
Column Layout
Starting with A2, begin by entering the last and first names of every practicing doctor going down the column. Use the “Freeze” tool to lock the first two columns of the spreadsheet. The first two columns contain the last and first names, which will be visible no matter how far across you scroll. Repeat for each sheet within the spreadsheet.
Here is an example of the order you can go by:
Sheet 1: Personal Information
- Last name
- First name
- Date of Birth
- Phone
- Fax
- Address
- City
- Zipcode
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License
- Tax ID #
Sheet 2: Appointment Information
- Last name
- First name
- Application
- Appointment
- Reappointment
- Hospital Privileges
- Hospital Letters
Sheet 3: Professional Information
- Last name
- First name
- CV
- AMA Profile
- NPI #
- UPIN #
- Medical School
- Postgraduate Training
- Board Certificate
- Specialty
- ECFMG
Sheet 4: Licenses
- Last name
- First name
- DEA expiration
- BLS certificate
- BLS expiration
- ACLS certificate
- ACLS expiration
- PALS certificate
- PAL expiration
- Fluoroscopy
- Fluoroscopy expiration
Sheet 5: Malpractice Information
- Last name
- First name
- Insurance carrier
- Insurance expiration
- Liability insurance
- NPDB Query
- OIG
Sheet 6: Miscellaneous
- Last name
- First name
- Tuberculosis test/x-ray
- Tuberculosis test/x-ray expiration
- History & Physical
- History & Physical expiration
- Peer references
- Comments
Tracking with the Spreadsheet
Always manage files for one doctor at a time to prevent misrecorded information. Recording the status of the documents is the most detail-oriented part of the credential file management process. Be as careful as you can because a misrecorded renewal date for one document may result in consequences for the entire facility.
- For documents with expiration dates:
- Enter the expiration date as “Month/Date/Year”
- Mark with red if the expiration date is approaching (about a month away)
- For documents that need to be collected once:
- Enter the ID# or name associated with the document OR....
- Enter “Yes” if received
- Enter “No” and mark with red if missing
- For all doctors:
- Take notes in the notes column if needed
Click the button below to visit the downloadable template for our Credential File Master Organizer. We hope you find it helpful!
If you find this process overwhelming, find out how Silversheet can help you eliminate using spreadsheets completely. Our cloud-based software alerts you of missing or outdated documents.
