The Data Bank collects reports of medical malpractice payments, adverse licensure actions, adverse clinical privileges actions exceeding thirty days, and exclusions from federal programs. Hospitals must query it at credentialing and every two years.
Reports are permanent and not accessible to the public.
Alternative Names:
NPDB, Data Bank
Why it Matters?
Any malpractice payment made on a practitioner's behalf is reportable regardless of amount or whether liability was admitted, which is why physicians resist settlements even at nuisance value. The corporate shield practice of settling in the entity's name only to avoid a report is scrutinized and can itself be reportable if the practitioner was named. Hospitals must query at credentialing, and failure to do so supports negligent credentialing claims.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Are all malpractice payments reportable?
Must hospitals query the Data Bank?
