Regardless of whether you are thinking about changing practices or beginning your practice career out of training you are going to need case logs.  Hospitals and private practices will require a number of items during the credentialing process.  Most of these required documents are straight forward and easy for a physician to obtain. One of these documents that some physicians get confused about are case logs. Increasingly case logs are one of the most important documents requested by facilities during credentialing process. Case logs, procedure logs, are sometimes known by other names but all depict the same information – patient activity generally arranged by CPT code.

As a twenty-year veteran in physician recruitment we have noticed a vast amount of our candidates that go through our credentialing process get confused when we ask to see their case logs.

Hospitals are increasingly requiring at least the last 4 months of case logs for new applicants. Many credentialing committees request details about your cases and patient load, including number and types of cases. Some hospitals and group will request that you provide a case log for procedures completed in the past year.  These healthcare entities are looking to document that you have at least the minimum required experience in your specialty and in specific procedures or types of cases demonstrating your qualifications for the position being considered, supporting the decision to grant privileges.

So, if you are one of the many physicians that do not know that you have case logs or where to access them, we are here to help. These can generally be obtained from your billing office or from the medical staff or medical records office at your current practice or hospital.  Particularly problematic is that many training programs are unaccustomed to providing case logs to residents and fellows.  We have had many instances where a fellow or resident was told no such records exist. They do exist.  It comes down to knowing who to ask for these records. Generally, the program coordinators can help point you in the proper direction.

When providing case logs be certain all patient information is absent or completely redacted to maintain compliance with HIPAA regulations. Additionally, case logs are best if provided in summary form, making the document(s) more user-friendly for credentialing personnel.

In conclusion – obtain and maintain your case logs.  Whether a permanent position or a locum tenens assignment, the standard for credentialing is that case logs are must haves.  Even if you are not in a specialty that is procedurally oriented, primary care and hospitalist physicians are being required to produce case logs as well.

At Pacific Companies, we have many amazing jobs open nationwide and would love to help you find the opportunity that you have always wanted. If you have any questions about how to obtain case logs, the credentialing process or are ready to make a professional change for 2019, contact us anytime for a free consultation. We are passionate about what we do and helping navigate your job search journey is what we do best.