Online physician reference checking is on the rise at healthcare organizations, suggests a report from SkillSurvey.
Specifically, the Berwyn, Pa.-based cloud-based solutions provider reported a 229 percent increase in physician reference checking through its proprietary platform for the first half of 2017 compared to the same period two years ago.
Given this demand, SkillSurvey added 14 new surveys aimed at helping healthcare organizations get more job-specific insights for physician specialties, company officials said in a news release. SkillSurvey said it previously had surveys for general physician, emergency medicine, surgeon, anesthesiologist, medical resident, ObGyn, pediatrician, CMO, and faculty/medical research roles. However, the 14 new surveys include cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, hospitalist and internist, among others. Company officials said the surveys ask references to weigh in on a candidate’s past performance via questions related to soft skills such as professionalism as well as problem-solving and adaptability.
"More than half a million job candidates were reference checked for roles in healthcare organizations last year through SkillSurvey and this number continues to grow as more physicians join healthcare organizations," said Ray Bixler, president and CEO of SkillSurvey. "Healthcare organizations need efficient methods for checking references to meet today's hiring demands and bring physicians on board who are committed to excellence in patient experience and satisfaction. SkillSurvey's deep healthcare industry knowledge and close client relationships allow us to develop surveys and solutions that can assess a broader range of medical job roles and meet the needs of our healthcare partners."