The Healthcare Hub
Anyone who sells to healthcare systems is aware that visiting sales and service representatives must meet a specific set of credentialing requirements for hospital access. These requirements are driven by the need to meet standards for patient safety, controlling costs and limiting exposure to fines and sanctions. These credentials become complex when you realize each facility requires different documentation and each facility manages it a little differently.
Healthcare systems increase requirements for representatives in parallel with growing regulations from accreditation and other governing bodies, and pressure to avoid potential financial consequences. Reps are confused by varying requirements across health systems.
Credential management takes away from customer-facing time
A lack of clarity on requirements and vague language has led to much confusion. There are emerging common credentialing requirements based on governmental and healthcare industry organization guidelines and requirements but there are still many variations from system to system. With each health system establishing their own requirements, a great deal of time can go into determining what and how each system collects data. That is time not spent in sales activities.
A survey conducted a few years ago by GHX indicated that almost three quarters of the reps responding were dissatisfied with the time it takes to complete compliance requirements. Nearly a third spent the equivalent of one week every year on compliance requirements. And, 48% said that they had missed out on a sales opportunity as a result of not being in compliance with a hospitals credentialing requirements.
While healthcare systems are each developing their own corporate compliance programs, the suppliers and vendors that do business with them can optimize their own credentialing processes for representatives. In addition to keeping reps sales-ready, it emphasizes a commitment to compliance that provider organizations appreciate. Successful programs are proactive rather than reactive, are simple to follow, and provide regular communication with reps to keep compliance requirements top of mind.
The requirements of varying healthcare provider organizations will continue to evolve and change based on many factors including the regulatory environment. The above characteristics of successful programs bears this in mind with a centralized framework for document access/sharing and continual communication to keep reps current.
Read how this supplier used GHX Document Repository to increase efficiency and compliance.