When should a focused professional practice evaluation (FPPE) be conducted?

A focused professional practice evaluation (FPPE) is an essential component of the credentialing process, particularly when granting initial privileges to providers. It is conducted to assess a practitioner's clinical competence in a specific area of practice and is crucial when a practitioner is requesting new or advanced privileges for the first time. Conducting an FPPE at this juncture allows healthcare organizations to ensure that the practitioner meets established standards and is capable of performing the requested procedures or services safely and effectively.

The purpose of the FPPE is to gather data that supports the practitioner's qualifications and abilities based on their actual performance during a designated time frame. This allows for a more targeted assessment instead of broadly evaluating all practitioners or only focusing on specialties deemed high risk, which may not provide a comprehensive review of a new privilege request.

In contrast, renewal applications typically rely on ongoing professional performance evaluations rather than a focused review, and addressing formal complaints typically occurs through separate review processes rather than being part of the initial privilege assessment. Thus, conducting an FPPE for all initially requested privileges ensures a rigorous and appropriate evaluation for new practitioners entering the healthcare system.