Which term refers to credentialing criteria defined by the hospital's own medical staff and governing board?

• A. Internal criteria
• B. External criteria
• C. Operational criteria
• D. Governance criteria

Answer: (A)

Internal criteria are the credentialing standards created by the hospital’s own medical staff and governing board. These locally defined standards reflect the institution’s services, patient population, and risk management goals, and they guide the credentialing and privileging process by evaluating qualifications such as education, training, board certification, licensure, and professional history. External criteria come from outside bodies like licensing boards or national certifying boards, and they provide baseline requirements rather than the hospital’s own tailored standards. The other terms don’t fit because they don’t describe standards established by the hospital’s leadership and medical staff.