The AAFP believes that the use of a Privilege List in conjunction with the categorization approach is the most comprehensive method for delineation of privileges. The addition of a listing of specific privilege requests will give the Credentials Committee, and ultimately the Board of Trustees, a better understanding of the scope of family practice training and experience.
Since it is impossible to make a completely comprehensive list of all possible diagnoses and procedural needs which would be applicable across the country, the AAFP recommends that the following Privilege List be used as an outline and reference material for a form which is adapted to meet local needs. The Privilege List is separated by systems rather than the usual “specialty” categories (e.g., pediatrics), which the AAFP considers as arbitrary and not applicable to the continuum of care provided in family practice. The format lists, in alphabetic order, both cognitive and procedural skills involved with the medical care of each system.
