What five sources does the NPDB use to obtain practice information?

• A. Medical malpractice payments; license actions by medical boards; professional review of clinical privilege action taken by hospitals or other healthcare entities; action taken by the DEA; Medicare and Medicaid exclusions
• B. Medical malpractice payments; license actions by medical boards; professional review of clinical privilege actions by hospitals; actions by the FDA; Medicare and Medicaid exclusions
• C. Medical malpractice payments; license actions by medical boards; professional review of clinical privilege actions by hospitals; actions by the DEA; hospital readmission data
• D. Medical malpractice payments; license actions by medical boards; professional review of clinical privilege actions by hospitals; DEA actions; patient billing records

Answer: (A)

The NPDB collects practice information from five main sources to give a comprehensive view for credentialing and peer review. These are medical malpractice payments; license actions by medical boards; professional review actions related to clinical privileges by hospitals or other healthcare entities; actions taken by the DEA; and Medicare/Medicaid exclusions. Each source captures a different type of adverse or controlling action: malpractice payments reflect civil liability tied to practice, license actions show state-level disciplinary history, professional review actions document hospital- or entity-based restrictions on privileges, DEA actions cover federal enforcement related to controlled substances, and Medicare/Medicaid exclusions indicate ineligibility to participate in federal programs. Other potential sources listed in different options (like FDA actions, hospital readmission data, or patient billing records) are not reported to the NPDB.