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Health Information Systems: National Practitioner Data Bank Continues to Experience Problems

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date Jan. 29, 1993
Report No. IMTEC-93-1
Subject
Summary:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created its National Practitioner Data Bank to help prevent unethical or incompetent doctors from moving across state lines and concealing their professional history. HHS' management of the data bank, however, has allowed weaknesses that undermine achievement of a timely, secure, and cost-efficient operation. The data bank usually does not give users responses to their questions for several weeks, which in turn delays the granting of privileges to health care practitioners. Further, poor internal controls have allowed user organizations to receive sensitive practitioner data to which they were not entitled. In addition, HHS has inadequately monitored the data bank contractor. Finally, although HHS intends to revamp the data bank, its plans have not incorporated a sound system development approach and are based on funding uncertainties. As a result, HHS may acquire a system that does not meet users' needs.

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