1. Generic term that refers to either licensing or certification. 2. Act of reviewing and evaluating qualifications such as education, training, experience, medical degrees, licensure, other credentials, malpractice, and any disciplinary record of a medical provider for quality assurance for the purpose of granting hospital staff membership to give patient care services. Periodically, a check of the status of staff qualifications is done and is referred to as recredentialing . 3. Process by which a managed care plan endorses that a physician is competent to render medical services to members of the plan. Also see economic credentialing.