Healthcare is a fast-moving industry that requires employers to take special considerations.

Subject to federal and state-mandated changes, healthcare is more fluid and variable than many other sectors. Because of this, the professionals who work within the healthcare industry need to be exceptionally well-trained and capable of providing high-quality care to patients.

For employers, ensuring these things can be easier said than done. Fortunately, that’s where healthcare background checks come in.

Essential for all healthcare facilities, medical background checks allow employers to evaluate an applicant’s background, work history, and credentials and determine whether the candidate in question is right for the job.

To help you navigate healthcare background checks for your company, we’ve created this comprehensive guide. In it, we’ll discuss the importance of background checks, their essential elements, and how to make yours more effective.

Why are Healthcare Background Checks Important?

For some employers, running a comprehensive background check on every candidate seems like overkill. It is, however, the only way to ensure you’re hiring the right candidate for the job, and that you won’t encounter unexpected or dangerous problems with an applicant at a later date.

Healthcare background checks are tailored to the healthcare industry. They are more thorough than many other kinds of background checks and evaluate metrics explicitly designed to help employers find the right care providers.

Of course, these background checks vary in complexity based on the position a company is hiring for. A physician, for example, will require a much more comprehensive check than a nurse, medical assistant, or home health aide.

Healthcare Background Check Requirements

Healthcare background check requirements vary depending on which organization conducts them, what the open position is, and how thorough the employer wants to be in the background check.

Still, most healthcare-specific background checks include the following:

A National Criminal Search

National criminal searches tap comprehensive databases to locate criminal records on a national level. These searches draw from millions of records across thousands of jurisdictions and databases. The search also examines offender registries from all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC.

National Sex Offender Search

This is a simple yet critical component of a healthcare background check. These searches pull data from all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The goal is to identify people who have been criminally charged and convicted of, or who have pleaded “guilty” to a sex crime.

Today, more than 500,000 registered sex offenders live in the United States. Since healthcare professionals come into regular contact with children and vulnerable adults, running a national sex offender search on each applicant is essential.

Identity Verification Check

Identity verification checks ensure the applicant is not misrepresenting who they are. They also ensure that all subsequent background check inquiries are evaluating the correct individual.

Drug Screening

Drug screening is especially important in the healthcare industry. Healthcare workers have access to powerful prescription drugs, which means employers must know whether the applicants they’re interviewing have a history with substance abuse.

This is especially critical since drug use is common among physicians and other highly-trained healthcare providers. In fact, a landmark study published in the Journal Psychiatric Clinics of North America estimated that 10%-12% of physicians working in the U.S. have a substance abuse disorder.

Fortunately, drug screenings can reveal drug habits that may disqualify an applicant from a position in healthcare.

Past Employment and Education Verification

Most jobs in the healthcare field require a postsecondary degree or at least some technical training and on-the-job experience. Education and employment verification allows you to ensure the applicant has the correct degree of preparation for the job. Employment verification will also allow you to determine if the applicant was fired from a previous job because of negligence or another severe mistake.

Federal Exclusion Search

A federal exclusion search enables employers to access a U.S. Government list of healthcare workers who are prohibited from receiving federal funds. This search identifies candidates who may be working in healthcare with a criminal record and who would prevent your organization from participating in federally funded programs like Medicare.

Additional Considerations

In addition to the requirements listed above, all positions, including background checks for nursing home employees, will require that healthcare sanctions (and potential exclusions) be checked at the state and federal level.

Finally, all positions should utilize continuous monitoring. This will alert the employer if an active caregiver gets arrested or becomes disbarred during employment.

Recommended Hospital Pre-Employment Background Check Packages

We understand hospital background checks. In fact, we specialize in the healthcare industry. With that in mind, here are the healthcare background check packages we typically recommend:

Physicians

• Identity Verification
• County Criminal Records Check
• National Criminal Records Check
• National Sex Offender Records Check
• Past Employment Verification
• Education Verification
• Healthcare Sanctions Checks and Ongoing Monitoring
• Motor Vehicle Records
• Lab-Based Drug Screening
• Electronic I9
• License Verification

Nurses

• Identity Verification
• County Criminal Records Check
• National Criminal Records Check
• National Sex Offender Records Check
• Healthcare Sanctions Check and Ongoing Monitoring
• Motor Vehicle Records
• Lab-Based Drug Screening
• Electronic I9
• License Verification

Certified Nursing Assistants

• Identity Verification
• County Criminal Records Check
• National Criminal Records Check
• National Sex Offender Records Check
• Healthcare Sanctions Check and Ongoing Monitoring
• Motor Vehicle Records
• Lab-Based Drug Screening
• Electronic I9
• License Verification

Home Health Aides

• Identity Verification
• County Criminal Records Check
• National Criminal Records Check
• National Sex Offender Records Check
• Motor Vehicle Records
• Drug Screening
• Electronic I9

What Background Check Company Do Hospitals Use?

Hospitals use many different background check companies, but iprospectcheck stands out as one of the most trusted. A leader in background checks for the healthcare industry, we specialize in comprehensive, compliant, accurate background checks with rapid turnaround times.

Ready to learn more about our background checks for healthcare employees? Contact us today to request a free consultation.

DISCLAIMER: The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult your counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.