Health care organizations can give another registered organization (an "authorized agent") the authority to query and/or report to the NPDB on their behalf. In most cases, an authorized agent is an independent contractor used for centralized credentialing; e.g., a credentials verification organization or hospital association.
A list of agents who are already registered with the NPDB is available on the Find an Authorized Agent page.
Registering an Agent Organization
To establish an authorized agent relationship, both the health care organization and the agent must be properly registered with the NPDB, and have a written contract in effect (with each authorizing health care organization) prior to the authorized agent's querying or reporting. Health care organizations and authorized agents complete different, separate registration forms.
Designating an Agent Organization
Before an authorized agent submits queries on behalf of an eligible health care organization, the health care organization must designate the agent through the NPDB website. The designating organization can choose whether the queries and reports submitted by the agent are routed to the organization, the agent, or both. A health care organization that has designated an authorized agent can still query and/or report to the NPDB directly.
The initiating organization may also select how they wish to receive query and report output. For example, if an agent submits a successful query through the Querying and Reporting XML Service (QRXS), the initiating organization can elect to receive the query response through the NPDB website, or through QRXS.
It is important that health care organizations and their authorized agents follow the below rules and guidelines:
As part of the reporting and querying requirements, health care organizations are responsible for creating a written agreement between themselves and any authorized agents. The agreement should confirm the following: