IMDA Recommendations on Vendor Credentialing

In August 2008, after conferring with its own members and other interested organizations (e.g., AdvaMed, MDMA, HMMC, HIRA, HIDA, etc.), IMDA issued three documents on the topic:

• Statement of issue. In the format of a "To Whom It May Concern" letter, President Shawn Walker lays out the key issues of vendor credentialing, including the dire economic consequences vendor credentialing can have on suppliers if certain measures are not taken.
   
• Suggested attributes of vendor credential organizations, also called "third-party credentialing organizations." In this document, IMDA lists the 11 most important attributes of a vendor credential organization. It is hoped that hospitals, GPOs and other entities will give these attributes careful consideration before contracting with or endorsing a third-party credentialing firm.
   
• Recommendations regarding vendor credentialing requirements. In order to bring some uniformity to the vendor credentialing process, IMDA recommends that healthcare providers focus on just four credentialing requirements for clinical sales reps (that is, those who require regular access to patient care areas and/or provide assistance to or consult with patient care staff while in the immediate vicinity of patients).

In March 2009, IMDA and a number of other supplier and provider organizations developed and sent to the Joint Commission the Joint Best Practices Recommendation for Clinical HCIR Credentialing. The recommended standards address credentialing criteria for clinical sales reps, that is, those who find themselves in the immediate vicinity of patient care, such as the OR or cath lab. This was updated in June 2009: Updated Joint Best Practices Recommendation - HCIR Credentialing.

IMDA Member Discounts with Vendor Credentialing Companies

• VendorClear - IMDA Member Discount
   
• Vendormate Open Access - Special IMDA Member Pricing
   
• Status Blue Vendor Credentialing Discount

Related Links

• Joint Commission requirements related to credentialing health care industry/vendor representatives
   
• Articles on vendor credentialing from Repertoire Magazine:
  
  March 2009: http://www.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=3148
  August 2008; http://www.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=2986
  June 2008: http://www.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=2941
  January 2008: http://www.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=2847
  August 2006: http://www.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=2469
   
• Healthcare Industry Supply Chain Institute moves forward on vendor credentialing, Journal of Healthcare Contracting, November/December 2008
   
• Considerations for Healthcare Executive-Supplier Interactions, American College of Healthcare Executives, November 2007. Guidelines for providers and suppliers to follow to ensure that the interactions between the two are appropriate and do not constitute conflicts of interest.
   
• Statement on Health Care Industry Representatives in the Operating Room, American College of Surgeons, September 2005 (revised). Guidelines for healthcare facilities and members of the perioperative healthcare team to ensure an optimal surgical outcome, as well as the patient's safety, right to privacy, and confidentiality when a sales rep is present during a surgical procedure. Included is a suggested procedure for providers to approve a sales rep’s presence in the OR.
   
• The Role of the Health Care Industry Representative in the Perioperative/Invasive Procedure Setting, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), March 2006. Guidelines surrounding the presence of sales reps in the OR.
   
• Recommended HCIR Credentialing Criteria, AdvaMed, September 2007. Recommended credentialing requirements for clinical sales reps, that is, reps with regular access to patient-care areas, such as the OR or cath lab.
   
• Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals, AdvaMed, September 2003. Guidelines to ensure that interactions between providers and suppliers adhere to ethical standards and applicable laws.
   
• Management Guidelines for Vendor Access, Strategic Marketplace Initiative, August 2006. Guidelines on vendor access, designed to support the development of written policies for provider organizations.
   
• Vendor Credentialing Module, Healthcare Industry Supply Chain Institute. Educational module that attempts to provide a balanced view of the vendor credentialing issue, and summarize the perspectives and concerns of all parties involved, including those of providers as well as suppliers. Visitors can take a quiz on the material presented.