The National Practitioner Data Bank: issues in plastic surgery

The purpose of this article is to increase awareness among plastic surgeons of the applications and implications of the National Practitioner Data Bank.

A literature review using PubMed and Google was conducted regarding the history, function, and outcomes of the National Practitioner Data Bank, a federally maintained database of malpractice payments and disciplinary actions involving licensed healthcare providers. Particular attention was paid to institutional reporting requirements, the process of querying the data bank, and controversies regarding the effectiveness of the data bank as they apply to physicians.

Many physicians in practice and training remain unaware of the requirements of the data bank. Specifically, situations in which an institution must report to the National Practitioner Data Bank on a physician's behalf can be surprising, such as payment to a patient in settlement of written claim without the suggestion of malpractice, denial of additional credentialing, and suspension of privileges for greater than 30 days. Mandatory and voluntary querying of the National Practitioner Data Bank also varies among entities. A listing with the National Practitioner Data Bank can have consequences for licensure and credentialing throughout a physician's career, and reporting requirements begin as an intern. Lastly, it is not clear that the existence of the National Practitioner Data Bank has improved the quality of health care in the United States.

Knowledge of the requirements and limitations of the National Practitioner Data Bank is useful for plastic surgeons because of the diverse implications of its contents for their current and future practices.