Performance

Glossary of Key Terms
To provide a greater understanding of the meaning of the key terms used for this engagement, the following definitions were generated and approved by the
Ministry:
Licensing: The process whereby an authorized regulatory body issues a permit to practice medicine.
Credentialing: An approach to obtaining, verifying and assessing against consistent criteria the qualifications of a physician for the purposes of licensing
and/or privileging.
Privileging: The process whereby an authorized body permits a specific scope and content of patient care services to a health care practitioner based
upon:
A standardized evaluation, typically beyond that required for licensure purposes, of a practitioner’s training, experience and competence related to
the delivery of specific services; and
A defined practice setting with its associated service needs, support infrastructure, patient mix, etc.
Performance management: An ongoing evaluation, including formative and summative assessments, of a physician’s quality of care, conduct, clinical
competencies, compliance with regulations, by-laws, rules and standards, and individual practice performance improvement.
Stewardship: The role of government in formulating strategic policy directions, generating intelligence, exerting influence through regulation and
ensuring accountability 1 .
1 Travis, P., D. Egger, P. Davies and A. Mechbal. 2003. "Towards Better Stewardship: Concepts and Critical Issues." In C.J.L. Murray and D.B. Evans, eds., Health Systems
Performance Assessment Debates, Methods and Empiricism. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Ministry of Health 2
Provincial Review of Physician Licensing, Credentialing, Privileging & Performance Management
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