Querying
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See also:
  1. Some of my subject database entries do not appear on the Available Individuals screen when I am submitting a query. Can you explain this discrepancy?

    If you do not provide mandatory information on a particular subject within your subject database, you will not see this subject listed on the Available Individuals screen (accessed when you select Query on the Options screen and select a subject on the Subject Type screen).

    Subject profiles that do not provide mandatory information will display an "N" in the "Completed" column of your subject database list. To see what information is missing, highlight the subject's name in your subject database and select the Edit button. When the online subject profile form appears, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Validate without Storing. A text box will identify mandatory data fields that are incomplete. Provide the missing information and select Store at the bottom of the page, then return to the Options page to query and Select a Subject. The subject's name will now appear on your Available Individuals screen. (Also in Integrated Querying and Reporting Service [IQRS] FAQ.)

  2. On the Subject Queried screen, I see that zero (0) reports were found in the number of Data Banks Reports section of the screen. When I click the Subject Name link to view the query results, Section C reads: "Based on the subject identification information provided by you in Section B above, a search of the NPDB (or HIPDB) has located the following reports: '0 '."  What exactly does this mean?

    At the time you submitted the query, the Data Banks found no reports for the practitioner based on the identifying data elements you provided in the query.

  3. I submitted a query yesterday and when I tried to view my query response today, it showed a "Rejection". How do I find out why it rejected?

    Queries marked as "Rejected" have one or more errors. The query was processed and a notice describing the error(s) is available. Click the highlighted Data Bank Control Number (DCN) and then select the Subject Name for the rejection reason.

  4. How do I find out if I submitted a duplicate query?

    If you are unsure about whether you submitted a specific query, check the View Query Response screen to see whether the query is listed multiple times. Note that responses to queries will be available electronically within an average of two to four hours of receipt by the Data Bank(s). Be sure to allow sufficient time for processing before checking the View Query Response screen.

    You may also contact the Customer Service Center at 1-800-767-6732. Information Specialists are available to speak with you weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. on Fridays) Eastern Time. The Customer Service Center is closed on all Federal holidays.

  5. What are the Data Banks rules regarding obtaining consent for a release of information from the practitioner before querying the Data Bank(s)?

    The law and regulations of the Data Banks do not require entities to obtain consent from practitioners prior to querying. In accordance with the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA), the Data Banks shall, upon request, provide information pursuant to HCQIA to the health care practitioner, to State licensing boards, to hospitals, and to other health care entities (including health maintenance organizations) that are registered with the Data Banks and have entered (or may be entering) into an employment or affiliation relationship with the practitioner or to which the practitioner has applied for clinical privileges or appointment to the medical staff.

    Information reported to the Data Banks is considered confidential and shall not be disclosed (other than to the physician or practitioner involved) except with respect to professional review activity and in the furtherance of the quality of health care.

  6. Why should I bundle queries?

    Bundling query responses can make it easier for you to view or print the results of large multi-name queries. To specify your multi-name query response setting, complete the Query Response Preference section of the User Account Information screen (available by logging in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) located on the Data Banks home page and clicking Update User Accounts on the Options screen).

    The on-screen options available are:

    • Never bundle query responses (a separate query response will be returned for each subject.)
    • Always bundle query responses (a query response will contain all subjects bundled together.)
    • Only bundle query responses when querying on more than ten subjects.

    For example, if you select the third option (ten as your multi-name query response setting), and then you query on ten subjects, the system will generate ten response files, one file per subject. However, if the query is on 11 or more subjects, then the system will generate one response file with all 11 of the subjects bundled together.

  7. Do we need to query on locum tenens practitioners each time temporary privileges are requested?

    Yes. The health care entity must query on a locum tenens practitioner each time the practitioner applies for temporary privileges. To reduce the querying burden, if your facility frequently uses a particular locum tenens practitioner, you may choose to appoint the practitioner to the consultant staff or other appropriate staff category according to your by-laws. The facility would then query on the locum tenens practitioner biennially as part of the routine query process.

  8. A podiatrist is applying for clinical privileges at a hospital. Is the hospital required to query the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)?

    Yes. Hospitals are required to query the NPDB at the time a physician, dentist, or other health care practitioner applies for medical staff appointment or for clinical privileges and every two years thereafter at the time of reappointment. (This is different than the reporting requirement; hospitals are required to report only adverse actions taken against the privileges of physicians and dentists. Hospitals may, but are not required to, report adverse actions taken against the privileges of other health care practitioners such as podiatrists.)

  9. A physician applying for appointment provided my entity with information about his claims history. When I compared that information to the results of our National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) query, I could not find the Medical Malpractice Payment Report (MMPR) from the insurance company that the physician says settled a claim on his behalf. What should I do?

    As the querying entity, you should discuss the matter with the applicant for clarification. There are five reasons why this situation might occur.

    • The query may not have contained adequate information to match an existing report.
    • If the medical malpractice payment was made prior to the opening of the NPDB in 1990, it would not have been reported in the NPDB.
    • Although the physician might have been involved in the case, if no payment was made for his benefit, no report should have been filed.
    • If the practitioner was not named in both the claim and the settlement or judgment, no report should have been filed.
    • The reporting entity failed to file a required report.

    If you conclude that there should have been a report in the NPDB, which you did not receive, please alert us to this fact by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-800-767-6732. Information Specialists are available to speak with you weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. on Fridays) Eastern Time. The Customer Service Center is closed on all Federal holidays.

    We want to be sure the Data Banks contain all the reports that are required by law to be reported. For additional information regarding Medical Malpractice Payment Reports (MMPR), please see page E-8 of Chapter E of the NPDB Guidebook located on the Data Banks home page under the Publications category. (Also in NPDB Query and Report FAQ.)

  10. I received a query response on a Licensed Professional Nurse that states the action was taken against the Nurse's Multi-State Privilege. What does this mean?

    Some States are members of a Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement (NLC). The NCL allows a nurse that is licensed in a NCL State (home State) to work in another NLC member State (remote State) without acquiring another license. The NLC Agreement results in a "privilege" to work in the remote State.

    The Multi-State Privilege Adverse Action Classification codes were developed to enable a remote State to report actions it takes against the nurse's privilege to practice in a remote State. The remote State should use only the Multi-State Privilege Adverse Action Classification codes. The home State should use the Licensure Adverse Action Classification codes to report an action taken against the nurse's license. If the home State (the State that issued the license) also takes an action against the nurse's Multi-State Privilege to Practice, it should file a second report of that action using the Multi-State Privilege Adverse Action Classification codes. The Multi-State Privilege Adverse Action Classification codes, along with the Licensure Adverse Action Classification codes and other Adverse Action Classification codes, are available under Reporting Codes under the General Information category on the Data Banks home page. (Also in HIPDB Query and Report FAQ.)

  11. If a State Licensing board updates its files on its licensed practitioners every twelve months, are they allowed to query the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) every twelve months?

    Yes, State licensing boards may query the Data Banks at any time. However, the State may find it less expensive to enroll the licensees in the Proactive Disclosure Service Prototype (PDS) for continuous monitoring rather than querying every twelve months. (Also in NPDB Query and Report FAQ.)

  12. How long are my query responses available on the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS)?

    Query responses are available for you to download from the IQRS for 45 days from the date the query is processed. You must retrieve responses within that timeframe. If you wish to save query responses beyond the 45-day period, you must save them to your computer or print them. (Also in Integrated Querying and Reporting Service [IQRS] FAQ.)

  13. I receive an error message when I try to view my query or report output from the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS). What do I do?

    To view query or report output from the IQRS, located on the Data Banks home page, you must have a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.

    For current versions of Acrobat Reader, see the Data Banks home page, or access www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. (Also in Reporting FAQ and Integrated Querying and Reporting Service [IQRS] FAQ.)

  14. Are medical residents included within the definition of a physician?

    Yes. A medical resident is included, within the definition of a physician, if the resident is licensed or otherwise legally authorized by the State to practice medicine or surgery.

    The NPDB Guidebook, located on the Data Banks home page under the Publications category, provides advice for reporting and querying on residents. See page D-1 of the Queries chapter for information on querying, and page E-1 of the Reports chapter for information on Reporting. (Also in NPDB Query and Report FAQ.)

  15. As a querier, will I be able to determine whether the subject of a report has received a copy of that report from the Data Bank(s)?

    Whenever the Data Bank(s) receives a new report or a revised, corrected, or voided report, the Data Bank(s) sends a Subject Notification Document (SND) to the subject of the report. When an SND is returned to the Data Bank(s) by the post office as undeliverable, that information is added to the report along with the address to which the subject's report was sent, the date it was sent, and an explanation that the subject did not receive a copy of the report because it was returned as undeliverable. If a non-delivered report is not returned to the Data Banks by the post office, the Data Banks is unable to add the non-deliverable notice.

  16. Are there instances in which my organization would need two Data Bank Identification Numbers (DBIDs)?

    Most registered entities require only one DBID but, in limited situations, an entity may obtain additional DBIDs. Remember that a unique DBID is issued based on meeting the statutory and regulatory definitions of the specific type of entity (i.e., hospital, other health care entity, health plan).

    One example is when an entity, that is eligible to query both the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB), wants to query different Data Banks for different types of practitioners. The entity could establish separate registrations with different query preferences. For example, the entity might want to query both Data Banks for physicians but query only the HIPDB for nurses. All queries submitted under one of the registrations would automatically go to both the NPDB and the HIPDB, while queries submitted using the other registration's DBID would automatically go to only the HIPDB.

    Let's look at another example. A health plan which operates nationally queries on all its practitioners, but each of the plan's regional offices has complete responsibility for credentialing practitioners within its region. Each regional office must register separately and obtain its own DBID. The various regional offices cannot share information received from the NPDB or HIPDB even if a practitioner is on the health plan's staff in more than one region. By way of contrast, if the plan had a single national unified medical staff, then the plan could have a single DBID and use user accounts for individuals in the regional offices. In the example, however, each regional office is fully responsible for decision making for its own medical staff.

  17. What is a report change notice?

    A report change notice is a notification detailing a change to a report you have previously queried on and received in the past 3 years. Actions that generate a report change notice include a correction, a subject statement addition, or a notice of appeal. Electronic versions of report change notices can be viewed on the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) by selecting Report Change Notices on the Options screen. Querying and Reporting XML Service (QRXS) users may elect to receive report change notices via the QRXS. By default, paper versions of report change notices are also mailed to your entity's address. Your Entity Data Bank Administrator can opt out of receiving the paper version, and/or indicate to receive notifications via QRXS on the Notification Preferences screen within the IQRS. (Also in Reporting FAQ.)

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Last revised June 2008