Healthcare workers are in a unique position of trust and responsibility and that’s why there is such an importance of background checks in the healthcare industry. Hiring in this industry requires very careful selection. Healthcare background checks are intended to provide an extensive employment screening in addition to focusing on the specific areas of concern, such as a history of malpractice and federal exclusions.
Why is it important for healthcare employees to under-go background checks?
Background checks are crucial for a variety of reasons, but let’s concentrate on the most significant ones. First, you might not be aware of this, but malpractice lawsuits are becoming more expensive. Clearly, hiring candidates who have a history of malpractice or similar errors is one of the best ways to avoid this happening to you.
Healthcare workers can harm your business in other ways in addition to malpractice; Indiscretions are among the most prevalent. You could be held liable if your employees accidentally disclose a patient’s protected health information.
You can ensure that your new hire’s record is excellent by conducting a Silver background check. Perhaps the most significant reason why medical background checks are so important for healthcare workers is their role as caregivers. Patients who are unable to care for themselves are frequently entrusted to healthcare professionals. You run the risk of putting all of your patients at risk by selecting the wrong person. By conducting medical background checks, you can ensure that there is no evidence of abuse.
What are the components of a medical background check?
The specific requirements for a medical background check vary depending on the provider and the position being applied for. In order to get a complete picture of a candidate, many businesses cut corners and conduct fewer checks than necessary. Choose an expert employment screening service that can do at least these things.
- Verification of Identity
This check will ensure that your candidate is who they say they are. In addition, it will ensure that subsequent procedures are carried out on the appropriate individual.
- Search of the National Criminal Database
To locate criminal records throughout the nation, a national criminal database search utilizes data from hundreds of millions of records. This search includes thousands of distinct databases and jurisdictions from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories.
- National Sex Offender Search
A national sex offender search will look for any records of sex crime convictions or guilty pleas by pulling information from the registries of every state, territory, and the District of Columbia. For healthcare workers, this is an essential component of the medical background check.
- Drug Testing
Even though drug testing is a common component of many pre-employment screenings, the healthcare sector places this step above all others. After all, medical professionals frequently have access to prescription medications. Sadly, substance abuse is a problem that affects healthcare workers the most, so a drug test is essential to find any problems.
- Verification of Employment and Education
In the healthcare industry, the importance of background checks is only going to increase given the risk to multiple third-parties (doctors, hospital, insurance companies). Verification of education and employment ensures that your candidates meet the requirements for the position. In addition, it will let you know if the applicant has been let go before because of negligence or other errors.
