Proof Pack export<\/strong><\/td>\n| \u201cProvide a sample export for the NPIs I choose, with verification metadata.\u201d<\/td>\n | Sample includes NPI, license match, line type, last verified, email status, suppression flags.<\/td>\n | Sample is just name + phone + email with no metadata.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Minimum export schema (copy\/paste requirement):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Stable person identifier (NPI where applicable)<\/li>\n
- License matching status + license state(s)<\/li>\n
- Phone fields: number, line type, line tested<\/em> flag, last verified timestamp<\/li>\n
- Email fields: address, deliverability tested<\/em> flag\/status, last verified timestamp<\/li>\n
- Refresh cadence fields (or last refresh timestamps) by phone\/email<\/li>\n
- Suppression\/opt-out flag(s) that flow through export and API<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Vendor Scorecard uniqueness hook (VENDOR_SCORECARD):<\/strong> Require every vendor to deliver the same one-page \u201cProof Pack\u201d export (same columns, same NPIs you choose). If they can\u2019t, you don\u2019t have comparable inputs\u2014so you can\u2019t make a fair decision.<\/p>\n<\/span>Step-by-step method<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/span>Step 1: Lock your use case (so the vendor can\u2019t move the goalposts)<\/span><\/h3>\nWrite down the exact workflow you\u2019re buying for. Examples:<\/p>\n \n- Outbound calling to reach passive physicians during clinic hours (need direct dials and line type clarity).<\/li>\n
- Email-first outreach for employed APPs (need deliverability tested emails and suppression).<\/li>\n
- Multi-touch sequences (need stable IDs, refresh cadence, and API\/Zapier\/Make automation).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Also define your \u201cunit of value\u201d: a connected call, a reply, or a qualified screen. If you don\u2019t define this, the vendor will default to record counts.<\/p>\n <\/span>Step 2: Copy\/paste demo questions (use the same set for every vendor)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- \u201cDefine \u2018verified\u2019 for phone and email. What event changes the status?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cShow me a record with line tested<\/strong> metadata and the last verified timestamp.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cShow me a record with deliverability tested<\/strong> metadata and how you suppress hard bounces.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cWhat is your refresh cadence<\/strong> by field, and where do I see it in the export\/API?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cHow do you do license matching<\/strong> and handle duplicates or name changes?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cDo you key identity to NPI<\/strong> (when applicable)? If not, what\u2019s the stable identifier?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cHow do opt-outs and do-not-contact flow through exports and the API<\/strong>?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cShow your Zapier<\/strong> \/ Make<\/strong> options for enrichment at the moment of need.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cWhat does \u2018healthcare-only\u2019 mean in your product? How do you prevent non-clinician noise?\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cCan you produce a Proof Pack export with the minimum schema listed above?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Step 3: Force definitions (especially around \u201cverified\u201d)<\/span><\/h3>\nAsk the vendor to define these terms in plain language and in export fields:<\/p>\n \n- Verified phone<\/strong>: What exactly happened to mark it verified? Is it line tested? When?<\/li>\n
- Deliverability tested email<\/strong>: Is it only syntax\/MX checks, or do they manage bounce suppression and risk? (This is not the same thing as inbox placement.)<\/li>\n
- Refresh cadence<\/strong>: How often do they re-check each field, and do you see timestamps?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Require the definitions to map to columns you can store in your ATS\/CRM (or at least in a staging table). If it\u2019s not in the data, it\u2019s not real operationally.<\/p>\n <\/span>Step 4: Validate identity resolution (NPI + license matching)<\/span><\/h3>\nIn healthcare recruiting, identity mistakes are expensive: wrong specialty, wrong state, wrong clinician. Require:<\/p>\n \n- NPI<\/strong> as a primary identifier where applicable.<\/li>\n
- License matching<\/strong> logic (how they reconcile name changes, multiple states, and duplicates).<\/li>\n
- Clear handling of multiple practice locations and multiple phone numbers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Operational note for your CRM\/ATS: store NPI<\/strong> as the primary key (when applicable) and treat phones\/emails as time-stamped attributes so refresh cadence and last-verified dates don\u2019t get lost.<\/p>\nAsk for a walk-through on one tricky example: a clinician with multiple locations and a group practice switchboard. You\u2019re looking for how they prevent \u201clooks right\u201d data from wasting recruiter time.<\/p>\n <\/span>Step 5: Run a 2-week pilot that measures outcomes (not vibes)<\/span><\/h3>\nHeartbeat internal metrics are allowed here as a method, not as numbers: run a 2-week pilot where each vendor gets the same target list and the same outreach rules. Keep it simple and auditable.<\/p>\n \n- Pick a cohort<\/strong>: a few hundred NPIs (or your equivalent) from roles you actively recruit. Use the same cohort for every vendor.<\/li>\n
- Split fairly<\/strong>: Randomly assign records to Vendor A vs Vendor B (or run sequentially with the same team and script).<\/li>\n
- Standardize outreach<\/strong>: Same dial attempts per record, same call windows, same email domain, same sequence length.<\/li>\n
- Track suppression<\/strong>: Honor opt-outs and do-not-contact across both vendors during the pilot.<\/li>\n
- Log outcomes<\/strong>: Capture connected calls, human answers, delivered emails, bounces, and replies by vendor source.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Measure this by\u2026 outcomes per 100 dials and per 100 delivered emails, not by total records returned.<\/p>\n <\/span>Pilot results table template (copy\/paste)<\/span><\/h3>\n | ![\"54266\"](\"http:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/uploads\/2026\/02\/how-to-evaluate-provider-contact-data-vendors-67a61af6.png.webp\")
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