Rural hospitals' experience with the National Practitioner Data Bank

Objectives. This study examined hospital administrators' experiences with the National Practitioner Data Bank. Methods. One hundred forty-nine rural hospital administrators completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the data bank. Results. Nearly 90% of respondents rated the data bank as an important source of information for credentialing. Three percent indicated it had directly affected privileging decisions; 43% and 34%, respectively, believed the costs exceeded or equaled the benefits. Twenty percent reported changes that could decrease disciplinary action reports to the data bank. Conclusions. While the National Practitioner Data Bank is an important source of information to rural hospitals, it may affect few credentialing decisions and motivate behavioral changes that could have a paradoxical effect on quality assurance.