Survey Highlights Immediate Steps Needed for Health Systems to Ensure Readiness, Cybersecurity, and Operational Preparedness
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 5, 2025 / Hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide are facing significant upheaval in their credentialing and privileging technology as major regulatory changes loom in 2026, according to the latest industry survey by Black Book Research. With new compliance standards from The Joint Commission (TJC), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and heightened cybersecurity mandates from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), hospital administrators are urged to act swiftly to upgrade legacy credentialing platforms.
Key findings from the survey indicate significant impacts from upcoming regulatory standards, including:
The Joint Commission: New credentialing standards require automated auditing, traceable peer review documentation, and enhanced compliance checks beginning January 2026. Hospitals should stay informed on forthcoming JCAHO updates to ensure compliance.
NCQA: Updated credentialing and delegation standards will emphasize automation, technology-enabled verification, faster credentialing cycles, and continuous quality improvement interventions to measure effectiveness.
CMS: Mandates for interoperability will necessitate credentialing platforms to be API and FHIR-compliant starting late 2026, aiming to enhance patient access to health data and streamline authorization processes.
Cybersecurity: Stricter data privacy regulations under HHS Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) will demand advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication, ongoing security audits, and rigorous risk assessments to strengthen cybersecurity protections for electronic protected health information (ePHI).
"Credentialing and privileging functions have rapidly evolved from straightforward administrative tasks into critical operational and compliance responsibilities," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Hospital leaders must urgently reassess and upgrade their credentialing technology or risk facing operational disruption, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and regulatory penalties."
Black Book Research's report identifies strategic steps hospitals must take immediately, including:
Conducting immediate reviews of current credentialing vendor performance.
Benchmarking against leading competitors for innovation, integration, and cost-effectiveness.
Prioritizing platforms demonstrating advanced cybersecurity, interoperability, and compliance readiness.
Implementing continuous credential monitoring solutions.
The survey also identified the industry's top-performing credentialing software vendors that hospital administrators should consider for immediate evaluation.
Among the vendors earning high marks for their preparedness, interoperability, cybersecurity credentials, and user satisfaction are-
MedTrainer
CredentialMyDoc (Verisys),
CredSimple (Andros Health)
Modio Health (OneView)
VerityStream (CredentialStream), and
symplr (Black Book rated #1 2021-2024)
These vendors are distinguished by robust automation, intuitive user experiences, real-time credential monitoring capabilities, and extensive interoperability with major EHR platforms, enabling seamless integration into complex hospital environments.
Significantly, the survey found that 42% of hospitals nationwide are already budgeting or actively planning to replace outdated credentialing platforms within the next 18 months. Additionally, several major industry moves are reshaping the market, with leading vendors such as Andros Health and symplr recently announcing strategic partnerships aimed at integrating credentialing directly into payer-provider collaborative platforms.
Black Book anticipates continued vendor consolidation throughout 2025 and early 2026 as market pressures increase, predicting four to six acquisitions or mergers by early next year. "Now is the critical time for hospital administrators and compliance officers to align strategic plans, budgets, and technology roadmaps," Brown advises. "Delaying this critical update could significantly impact patient care, cybersecurity preparedness, and operational efficiency."
The comprehensive 35 page report, including detailed vendor rankings, strategic recommendations, and readiness checklists, is available to healthcare executives and administrators to license by contacting Research@BlackBookMarketResearch.com on June 8.
About Black Book Research
Black Book Research is an independent, unbiased source of healthcare technology and services market research, trusted globally by hospital leaders, healthcare executives, payers, and policymakers for insightful guidance based on extensive survey data and real-world outcomes. Download our latest gratis reports at www.blackbookmarketresearch.com
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SOURCE: Black Book Research
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/hospitals-face-credentialing-technology-overhaul-as-2026-compliance-d-1023481
