What is the difference between privileging and credentialing?

The distinction between credentialing and privileging is fundamental in the healthcare field. Credentialing is a comprehensive process that evaluates the qualifications of healthcare providers by verifying their education, training, experience, and professional background. This step ensures that providers meet the necessary standards to practice in their respective fields.

Privileging, on the other hand, is the process that follows credentialing. It specifically involves granting healthcare providers permission to perform particular procedures or services within their scope of practice in a specific healthcare facility or organization. This means that even if a provider is credentialed, they may not be granted privileges for certain procedures unless they have demonstrated competency in those areas.

Therefore, the correct identification of the difference highlights that credentialing focuses on assessing qualifications, while privileging relates to the authorization of specific clinical tasks. Understanding this difference is crucial for ensuring patient safety and delivering high-quality care in a healthcare setting.