Equifax Goes "Real-Time" For Credential Verification

Only On-Line Access To Physician Credentials Information

ATLANTA, April 30, 1996 -- Equifax today announced the only available on-line access to an extensive national database that makes it possible for managed care organizations and hospitals to get immediate verification of physician credentials.

Called Equifax Credentials On-Line, the new system slashes the expense and wasted time commonly associated with the manual paper-shuffling process that marks healthcare today. It will help healthcare organizations more easily meet accreditation requirements to ensure quality patient care.

"To our knowledge, this is the first extensive database on nearly every physician in the United States that's available on-line, in real time, any time a healthcare organization needs to verify or update a physician's credentials," said Dan Kohl, senior vice president and group executive, Equifax Healthcare Information Services Group. "Equifax Credentials On-Line helps healthcare organizations dig their way out from behind mounds of paper and put a cap on unnecessary expense, while helping physicians star t treating patients sooner."

Equifax Credentials On-Line was unveiled today at the eighth annual National Managed Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C. Covering more than 600,000 practicing physicians, the Equifax database contains the primary source verification information on a physician's education; registrations for prescribing medication; specialty board certifications; Medicare or Medicaid disciplinary sanctions, and state licensure from states with automated records available.

The information contained in the national database is gathered from multiple primary sources, including the American Medical Association, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the American Board of Medical Specialties, other federal agencies and state licensure boards. The information meets the verification standards established by both the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Health organizations verify the credentials of physicians at the time they join a network or medical staff and at least every two years thereafter. The process helps ensure quality patient care but creates an administrative nightmare of paperwork.

Now, with immediate on-line access, managed care organizations can rapidly expand their doctor network when needed. Hospitals can provide temporary credentials immediately. Both can update records at any time with minimal effort. And doctors can join hospitals and health plans sooner rather than having to wait months for their credentials to be verified. Equifax Credentials On-Line is a perfect example of what Equifax means by Informational Medicine - harnessing the available information in ways to red uce costs and help assure high quality care.

"No company can manage this information like Equifax can," observed Kohl. "Our vast experience as the industry leader in information management guarantees that the integrity of our data is unmatched. Not only do we possess the technological expertise, but we also already have tried-and-true security and privacy guards in place."

Rich Crutchfield, senior vice president, Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Service, added, "Equifax Credentials On-Line is unique because it allows healthcare organizations to extract the desired information. For instance, if a hospital only needs to examine board certification, our system provides the flexibility to draw out just that information. Healthcare organizations pay only for what they need."

Equifax Credentials On-Line operates on an advanced computer system physically constructed in Atlanta but accessible from anywhere around the country. It was built to help healthcare organizations and access is not available to consumers or by general inquiry.

For more information on Equifax Credentials On-Line, please contact Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Service at 1-800-321-6693.

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), committed to Global Information Leadership in the Information Age, is the leading provider of information services that help grant credit, authorize and process credit card and check transactions, insure lives and property and control healthcare costs. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax today employs 14,000 people throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Revenues for the twelve months ended March 31, 1996, were $1.7 billion.