What is primary source verification (PSV)?
Primary source verification (PSV) is the process of confirming a provider's credentials directly with the original issuing source — the state medical board, the medical school, the certifying body — rather than relying on a copy supplied by the provider. PSV is the backbone of credentialing: it's how hospitals, health plans, and accreditors know a credential is real and current.
Quick answer: PSV means verifying a credential with the body that issued it, not from a photocopy. A license is confirmed with the state board; a degree with the medical school; board certification with the certifying board.
PSV confirms each credential directly with the issuing source — never from a copy the provider supplies.
Why PSV exists
Documents can be altered, expired, or misread. PSV removes that risk by going to the source of truth. Accreditation standards (such as those from NCQA and The Joint Commission) and most payer contracts require PSV for core credentials, which is why it's non-negotiable in any compliant credentialing program.
What gets primary-source verified
- State medical license — verified with the issuing state medical board.
- DEA registration — confirmed via the DEA / controlled-substance registry.
- Board certification — verified with the certifying board (e.g., ABMS member boards).
- Education and training — confirmed with the medical school and residency/fellowship programs.
- Malpractice history and sanctions — checked against the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).
- Work history and references — confirmed with prior employers and named references.
How PSV is performed
Verification is done through each source's accepted channel: an online board lookup, a designated verification service, a secure query (like the NPDB), or direct written confirmation. Each result is documented and dated so the file can show exactly when and how each credential was verified — that audit trail is itself part of the requirement.
PSV is the slow, variable part of credentialing because timing depends on each source. Some boards return results the same day; others take weeks. You can't rush a source — but you can request early and chase nothing twice.
How Rivon handles PSV
Rivon runs primary source verification inside the same pipeline as the rest of credentialing, so every verified credential lands in the provider's record with its source and date attached — a clean, audit-ready trail. Document AI captures license and DEA details accurately up front, so verifications start from correct data instead of a typo. Monitoring then keeps verified credentials from quietly expiring.
For teams that want it done for them, Rivon's white-glove service performs PSV end to end and delivers a verified, documented file — the platform or the people, same verified result.