National Practitioner Data Bank

Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank

1. How do I designate an agent to submit queries or reports on behalf of my healthcare organization?

   The healthcare organization must first register and initiate an Authorized Agent Designation through the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS). The Entity Data Bank Administrator must log in to the IQRS, and from the Administrator Options screen click Maintain Agent Information. On the Authorized Agents screen select Add and complete all fields on the Designate Authorized Agent screen, certify the information, and click Continue. A formatted copy of the Agent Designation Request will be displayed. Please print a copy for your records. Notify your authorized agent(s) that their Entity Data Bank Administrator must log in to the IQRS to accept your request. The Data Banks will also send an email notification to your authorized agent(s) Entity Data Bank Administrator to log in to the IQRS and accept the Agent Designation Request.

2. Can I designate more than one authorized agent?

   Yes. The Entity Data Bank Administrator may designate multiple authorized agents by completing all fields on the Designate Authorized Agent screen for each agent you wish to designate.

3. How do I update an authorized agent relationship?

   Entity Data Bank Administrators can create, update, and deactivate an authorized agent relationship on-line by logging in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) located on the Data Banks home page. On the Administrator Options screen, click Maintain Agent Information and select whether you wish to create, update, or deactivate an authorized agent relationship.

   The Designate Authorized Agent screen enables the Entity Data Bank Administrator to designate an authorized agent to query and report to the Data Bank(s) on behalf of the organization. This screen also enables the Entity Data Bank Administrator to modify the authorized agent's access to the Proactive Disclosure Service Prototype (PDS 24/7 notification), querying and reporting privileges, and the routing of the query responses. Once the Entity Data Bank Administrator designates, deactivates, or modifies an authorized agent relationship, the Data Banks will send an email notification to the authorized agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator to log in to the IQRS and accept the Agent Designation Request for designation, deactivation, or modification.

4. I was recently designated the authorized agent of a registered healthcare organization. When I attempted to log in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) to submit a query for the healthcare organization, I received an error message. Why can't I query for this organization?

   If a registered healthcare organization designates you to act as its authorized agent, your organization's Entity Data Bank Administrator must accept the healthcare organization's Agent Designation Request before you can query or report on its behalf. Be sure to review the Agent Designation Request to ensure that the healthcare organization selected appropriate querying and/or reporting privileges. To accept the healthcare organization's Agent Designation Request, the agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator must log in to the IQRS located on the Data Banks home page, view the related Data Bank Correspondence (displayed on the Registration Confirmation or the Data Bank Correspondence screens) and follow the directions provided on-line.

   The Data Bank Correspondence screen enables an agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator to electronically accept or decline an organization's Agent Designation Request to authorize the agent to query or report to the Data Bank(s) on its behalf. The Agent Designation Request is available for the agent on-line for 30 days from the date it is opened and viewed. Once the agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator accepts the agent designation, you may begin querying or reporting on the organization's behalf. The agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator may review querying and/or reporting privileges for organizations that have designated you as their agent by selecting Maintain Agent Information from the Administrator Options menu.

5. I am an agent for 42 hospitals and health plans. Will I need to renew the registration for each of these healthcare organizations?

   No. Each organization must renew its own registration. Agents may only renew their agent registration; they are not authorized to renew registrations for the organizations they represent.

   The registration renewal process does not affect existing healthcare organization-agent relationships. (Also in Registration FAQ.)

6. How does the agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator grant privileges for users to submit queries or reports for a healthcare organization?

   The agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator should log in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) located on the Data Banks home page and on the Administrator Options screen, click Maintain User Accounts. Select the User ID you wish to update querying and/or reporting privileges for and click Edit. On the User Account Information screen, the Entity Data Bank Administrator can update user privileges by selecting the desired healthcare organizations in the Entities Available to Act on Behalf of section and specifying whether the agent user can: Query Only, Report Only, Query & Report, or None. Be sure to click Save in order to save changes made on the User Account Information screen.

7. How does the agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator deactivate a relationship with a healthcare organization?

   An agent's Entity Data Bank Administrator can deactivate an authorized agent relationship on-line by logging in to the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) located on the Data Banks home page and on the Administrator Options screen, click Maintain Entity Relationships and select a relationship to deactivate and click Deactivate Relationship. Certify the deactivation on the Certify Entity Deactivation screen. A formatted copy of the Entity Relationship Deactivation Notice displays.

8. I have an agent that queries on behalf of my healthcare organization and the agent receives the query responses. Can I receive a copy too?

   Yes, on the Designate Authorized Agent screen the Entity Data Bank Administrator may choose to have responses to its agent's submissions routed to the healthcare organization, the agent, or both. An Entity Data Bank Administrator can also specify how they want to receive query output. For example, if an agent submits a successful query through the Interface Control Document Transfer Program (ITP), the healthcare organization can elect to receive the query response through the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS).

9. I have an agent that reports on behalf of my healthcare organization and the agent receives the report responses. Can I receive a copy too?

   Yes, on the Designate Authorized Agent screen the Entity Data Bank Administrator may choose to have responses to its agent's submissions routed to the healthcare organization, the agent, or both. An Entity Data Bank Administrator can also specify how they want to receive report output. For example, if an agent submits a successful report through the Interface Control Document Transfer Program (ITP), the healthcare organization can elect to receive the report response through the Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS).