Summary of article from HealthExec, by Chad Van Alstin:
The credentialing process in healthcare, which verifies a provider’s education, training, licenses, and professional experience, is a time-consuming manual task, especially burdensome for small hospitals and independent practices. The lack of a centralized data repository and varying state regulations complicate the process, with no current way to automate it due to the need for data from hundreds of disparate sources. This process can delay the hiring of healthcare providers, impacting patient care, especially in underserved communities. Solutions like blockchain have been explored but are met with skepticism due to issues of data reliability and technical limitations. Until a more efficient system is found, the credentialing process remains largely manual, leading to increased time and labor costs, particularly affecting rural and underserved areas.