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Overview Submitting Reports to the NPDB Reporting Medical Malpractice Payments Reporting Adverse Clinical Privileges Actions Reporting Adverse Professional Society Membership Actions Reporting State Licensure and Certification Actions Reporting Federal Licensure and Certification Actions Reporting Peer Review Organization Negative Actions or Findings Reporting Private Accreditation Organization Negative Actions or Findings Reporting Exclusions from Participation in Federal or State Health Care Programs Reporting Federal or State Health Care-Related Criminal Convictions Reporting Health Care-Related Civil Judgments Reporting Other Adjudicated Actions or Decisions

Q&A: Queries

  1. Under what conditions are hospitals required to query every 2 years on courtesy staff members?

  2. Are hospitals required to query the NPDB on medical and dental interns and residents?

  3. Are hospitals required to document and maintain records of their requests for information?

  4. If a health care entity cannot find or did not receive a response to a query, may the health care entity request a copy from the NPDB?

  5. A hospital would like to enroll its medical staff in Continuous Query. Will the hospital still have to submit One-Time Queries when the hospital's mandated 2-year review is due?

  6. May self-queries be used to satisfy a hospital's mandatory query requirements?

  7. A hospital is in bankruptcy. Is it still required to query the NPDB?

  8. During a hospital's credentialing process, an NPDB query is included in the materials presented to the credentialing committee for peer review. A health care practitioner appeals a decision made by the credentialing committee, and the appeal goes to a separate review body that was not involved in the original decision. Is providing the NPDB query result to the appeal body a violation of NPDB confidentiality rules?

  9. What are the benefits of using Continuous Query instead of submitting One-Time Queries?

  10. May hospitals query on health care practitioners who they do not credential or privilege but who they hire, such as nurses?

  11. A hospital recently queried the NPDB on a physician who was subsequently granted privileges. If the hospital obtains written consent from the physician, may the hospital share the NPDB query results with another health care entity that is not part of the hospital's investigation or peer review process but is registered with the NPDB?

  12. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is applying for a position at a hospital. Does the hospital have to query the NPDB on the nurse?

Do you have a question about the NPDB Guidebook that you'd like answered?