Healthcare recruiting contact data glossary

Q: What’s the difference between verification and data quality?

Verification is the set of checks you run on a field (email/phone) to decide if it’s usable. Data quality is whether the whole record is fit for your recruiting workflow (accuracy, completeness, recency, and compliance readiness).

Q: What’s the difference between opt-out and unsubscribe?

Opt-out is a request to stop contact (often global or channel-specific). Unsubscribe is typically an email mechanism and should trigger immediate channel suppression. Treat both as enforceable signals and sync them to your source of truth.

Q: Where do I go next if I need the operational workflow, not just definitions?

Start with the provider contact data guide, then layer in data quality verification so your team can scale outreach without burning time or deliverability.

Ben Argeband, Founder & CEO of Heartbeat.ai — Calm and simple; every definition leads to a next step.

What’s on this page:

Who this is for

This hub is for recruiters and recruiting ops teams who need clean definitions for provider contact data, data quality, consent, opt-out, and outreach performance—without jargon and without debates.

Tip: Use Ctrl+F (or your browser’s Find) to jump to a term fast. Bookmark this page and link it in your SOP so everyone uses the same language.

Human check (BURNOUT_CHECK): If your team is re-litigating terms in Slack, you’re paying for it in delays, rework, and candidate frustration. Standardize language once, then standardize workflow.

Jump to:

Quick Answer
Diagnostic Table (one-screen glossary)
Step-by-step method
Outreach templates
Evidence and trust notes

Choose your path:

Sourcers: Start with provider contact data workflow, then use the checklist below to decide what’s outreach-ready.
Recruiters: Use the templates and track the five metrics so you can fix the right bottleneck (deliverability vs connectability vs message fit).
Ops leaders: Standardize definitions and QA gates with data quality verification, then align handling with recruiting compliance basics.

Quick Answer

Core Answer: A practical glossary of healthcare recruiting contact data terms with consistent definitions, why each matters, and the next operational step for recruiters and ops.
Key Insight: Definitions only help if they map to actions: what you verify, what you suppress, and what you measure in outreach.
Best For: Recruiters and ops teams who want definitions without jargon.

Compliance & Safety

This method is for legitimate recruiting outreach only. Always respect candidate privacy, opt-out requests, and local data laws. Heartbeat does not provide medical advice or legal counsel.

Framework: The “One-Screen Glossary” Rule: Definition → Why it matters → Next step

Every term below follows the same pattern so your team can use it in real workflows:

Definition: what the term means (short and consistent).
Why it matters: how it impacts speed-to-submittal, connectability, deliverability, and workflow fit.
Next step: the operational move (verify, suppress, segment, or escalate).

Stable hub principle: fewer concepts, clearer decisions. If a vendor or teammate uses a different definition, you’ll spot the mismatch immediately.

Micro-Asset: Diagnostic Table

GLOSSARY_TABLE: term → why recruiters care → where it shows up. Use this during list build, outreach setup, and reporting reviews.

Term	Definition	Why recruiters care	Where it shows up	Next step
Provider contact data	Work-relevant ways to reach a clinician (email, phone, practice line, location context) used for recruiting outreach.	Bad contact data wastes dials, burns sender reputation, and slows submittals.	Sourcing lists, CRM records, outreach tools	Define required fields per channel; verify before scale.
Data quality	Fitness of contact data for a specific recruiting workflow (accuracy, completeness, recency, and compliance readiness).	Quality is workflow-specific; “good” for email may be “bad” for calls.	Dashboards, QA checklists	Set thresholds per channel and role; document them.
Verification	Checks that contact details are valid and appropriate for outreach (format, deliverability, ownership signals, and recency).	Verification is the difference between “sent” and “reached.”	Pre-campaign QA, enrichment steps	Set pass/fail rules per channel; re-verify before reactivation.
Recency	How recently a contact field was last confirmed as usable for outreach.	Older records drive bounces, wrong numbers, and wasted recruiter time.	Record metadata, enrichment logs	Bucket records by last-verified date; refresh before reuse.
Enrichment	Adding missing fields to a record (email, phone, location, specialty context) from a data source or workflow step.	Enrichment increases reach, but can add risk if you don’t verify and suppress.	List build, CRM updates	Enrich only the fields you will use; verify and log provenance.
De-duplication	Identifying and merging duplicate records that represent the same person.	Duplicates cause double outreach and complaints.	ATS/CRM merges, list uploads	Use stable identifiers (e.g., NPI) plus name/location checks; keep merge rules consistent.
Source of truth	The system where the “final” version of contact preferences and suppressions lives.	If suppressions aren’t centralized, you will re-contact opt-outs.	ATS/CRM, suppression tool	Pick one owner system; sync outward to email/dialer/SMS tools.
Sender reputation	How mailbox providers evaluate your sending identity over time based on signals like bounces, complaints, and engagement.	Poor reputation reduces inbox placement and slows every campaign.	Email platform health dashboards	Protect it with verification, suppression, and relevant targeting.
Hard bounce	A permanent email delivery failure (e.g., address does not exist).	Hard bounces are a list hygiene problem and can damage sending performance.	Email platform bounce logs	Suppress immediately; don’t resend to hard bounces.
Soft bounce	A temporary email delivery failure (e.g., mailbox full or transient server issue).	Repeated soft bounces can become a reputation issue if you keep hammering.	Email platform bounce logs	Retry cautiously per your sending tool rules; suppress if it persists.
Call window	The time ranges when a segment is most reachable by phone (by specialty, setting, and local time).	Calling at the wrong time tanks connectability and recruiter morale.	Dialer schedules, recruiter playbooks	Set segment-specific windows; review weekly using call outcomes.
Consent	Permission (explicit or implied under applicable rules) to contact someone via a channel for a legitimate purpose.	Consent posture determines channel choice and risk.	Outreach playbooks, policy docs	Document your basis for outreach; keep records of preferences.
Opt-out	A recipient’s request not to be contacted (or not via a specific channel).	Ignoring opt-outs creates complaints and deliverability damage.	ATS/CRM notes, email footer logs, SMS replies	Centralize suppression so it applies across tools and teammates.
Suppression list	A list of contacts you must not message (global or channel-specific), including opt-outs and risky addresses.	Prevents repeat mistakes and protects sender reputation.	Email platform, SMS tool, dialer, CRM	Sync suppressions across systems; audit weekly.
Unsubscribe	A channel-specific request to stop receiving messages (commonly email; other channels may use different opt-out mechanisms).	Unsubscribes are a clear signal to stop; mishandling them increases complaints.	Email platform events, CRM fields	Auto-suppress immediately for that channel; confirm sync to your source of truth.
Do-not-contact (DNC)	An internal operational flag that a person should not be contacted (globally or by channel), including opt-outs and high-risk records.	Prevents repeat outreach to people who asked you to stop.	ATS/CRM, suppression tooling	Make DNC visible in every tool recruiters use; enforce at send/dial time.
Segmentation	Grouping contacts by attributes (specialty, setting, geography, seniority, channel readiness) to tailor outreach.	Improves relevance and reduces spam complaints.	Campaign setup, CRM views	Segment before you change copy; fix targeting first.
Complaint rate	The share of recipients who mark messages as spam or file complaints (tracked by your sending tools).	Complaints can reduce inbox placement and slow the whole team.	Email platform dashboards	Investigate by segment and source; tighten suppression and relevance.
Deliverability Rate	Delivered emails / sent emails (per 100 sent emails).	Low deliverability means you’re paying for outreach that never lands.	Email reporting	Track by domain and segment; suppress risky addresses and fix hygiene.
Bounce Rate	Bounced emails / sent emails (per 100 sent emails).	Bounces damage sender reputation and future inbox placement.	Email reporting	Remove hard bounces immediately; re-verify older records before reuse.
Reply Rate	Replies / delivered emails (per 100 delivered emails).	Separates “inbox placement” from “message-market fit.”	Email reporting	Segment by specialty and job type; test subject lines and first lines.
Connect Rate	Connected calls / total dials (per 100 dials).	Shows whether your numbers and dialing windows are working.	Dialer reporting	Adjust call windows; prioritize higher-quality phone fields.
Answer Rate	Human answers / connected calls (per 100 connected calls).	Shows whether you’re reaching a person vs voicemail/IVR.	Dialer reporting	Refine timing and routing; tighten list to direct lines where appropriate.
NPI	National Provider Identifier used to identify healthcare providers in U.S. systems.	Useful as a stable identifier for matching and de-duplication.	Matching, enrichment, record merges	Use NPI to reconcile duplicates; don’t assume it includes outreach-ready contact fields.

Step-by-step method

Pick the minimum term set your team must share. Start with: provider contact data, verification, data quality, consent, opt-out, suppression list, and the five outreach metrics.
Attach each term to a workflow checkpoint. Example: “suppression list” belongs in list build, pre-send QA, and post-campaign cleanup—not just in policy docs.
Make the glossary enforceable. Add required fields and pass/fail rules to your list intake form (even if it’s a simple checklist in your CRM).
Standardize metric math across tools. If two dashboards disagree, you don’t have a performance problem—you have a definition problem. Measure this by… using the denominators in the Diagnostic Table (per 100 dials, per 100 sent emails, per 100 delivered emails).
Turn terms into actions. Every record should end in one of four outcomes: verify, suppress, segment, or escalate for review.

Need the operational workflow behind these terms? Start here: provider contact data.

Weighted Checklist:

Use this to decide whether a contact record is “ready for outreach” or “needs work.” Score each item 0–2 (0 = missing, 1 = partial/uncertain, 2 = solid). Total possible: 20.

Identity match: name + specialty + location align (0–2)
Stable identifier present: NPI or internal ID for de-duplication (0–2)
Email readiness: email present and passes your verification rules (0–2)
Phone readiness: phone present and tagged (direct vs main line) (0–2)
Recency: last verified date is recent enough for your cadence (0–2)
Role context: practice owner/employee/locums signals captured (0–2)
Consent posture documented: channel allowed + rationale recorded (0–2)
Opt-out checked: not on suppression list for the channel (0–2)
Routing clarity: best time window / gatekeeper notes captured (0–2)
Next action set: call/email sequence assigned (0–2)

Interpretation: 16–20 = ready to scale; 11–15 = limited test only; ≤10 = fix data before outreach. The trade-off is… moving fast with partial records versus protecting deliverability and recruiter time.

Micro-Asset: Outreach Templates

Short templates that fit real recruiter workflows. Customize to your role, facility, and opportunity. Always honor consent and opt-out.

Email template (first touch)

Subject: Quick question about your next role

Body: Hi {FirstName} — I recruit clinicians for {Org/Facility}. Are you open to a brief call about {Role} in {Location} (schedule + comp details)? If not, reply “no” and I’ll close the loop.

Voicemail template (if you reached voicemail)

Hi {FirstName}, this is {YourName}. I’m calling about a {Role} opportunity in {Location}. If you’re open to details, call me at {Number}. If not interested, no problem—just reply “opt out” and I’ll update our suppression list.

Gatekeeper-friendly script (main line)

Hi—can you help me route a message to Dr. {LastName}? I’m a recruiter with {Org}. What’s the best way to send a brief opportunity summary—email or a direct line? I’m happy to follow your preferred process.

Want to validate your verification and hygiene steps before you scale outreach? Use: data quality verification for recruiting and this deeper definition page: what contact data accuracy means in recruiting ops.

Common pitfalls

Using “accuracy” as a vibe instead of a rule. If your team can’t say what passes/fails verification, you’ll argue after the campaign instead of before it.
Mixing up deliverability and response. A message can be delivered and still get zero replies. Separate list health (deliverability/bounce) from offer + copy fit (reply rate).
Not centralizing opt-outs. If opt-outs live in one inbox or one recruiter’s notes, you will re-contact people you shouldn’t.
Letting suppression be email-only. Suppression should be channel-aware (email vs phone vs SMS) and shared across tools.
Over-building the term set. If the glossary grows faster than your workflow, it stops being useful. Keep the smallest set that drives consistent decisions.

How to improve results

Here’s the measurement plan ops can run weekly without a meeting.

1) Use a single scorecard with fixed denominators

Deliverability Rate = delivered emails / sent emails (per 100 sent emails)
Bounce Rate = bounced emails / sent emails (per 100 sent emails)
Reply Rate = replies / delivered emails (per 100 delivered emails)
Connect Rate = connected calls / total dials (per 100 dials)
Answer Rate = human answers / connected calls (per 100 connected calls)

2) Segment before you “fix” anything

By specialty and setting (hospital-employed vs private practice)
By channel (email vs call) and by source
By record age (last verified date buckets)

3) Tie improvements to one lever at a time

If Deliverability Rate drops: tighten verification rules and suppress risky addresses.
If Connect Rate drops: adjust call windows and prioritize higher-quality phone fields.
If Reply Rate drops but deliverability is stable: change message, offer framing, or targeting.

4) Make refresh a scheduled step

Contact fields change over time. Build a refresh cadence into your workflow (especially before reactivation campaigns). If you’re evaluating tools, prioritize Access + Refresh + Verification + Suppression over static exports.

Legal and ethical use

This is operational guidance for legitimate recruiting outreach, not legal advice. Recruiting outreach is appropriate when it’s respectful, relevant, and compliant with applicable rules.

Be transparent: identify yourself and why you’re reaching out.
Honor opt-outs fast: one system of record for suppression.
Minimize data: store only what you need for recruiting workflow.
Document process: who can outreach, on what channels, and how complaints are handled.

For a recruiting-focused overview, see: recruiting compliance basics.

Evidence and trust notes

This hub is designed to be stable and operational. We update definitions when workflow requirements or regulatory guidance changes, and we keep terms mapped to actions (verify, suppress, segment, escalate).

FAQs

What’s the difference between verification and data quality?

Verification is the set of checks you run on a field (email/phone) to decide if it’s usable. Data quality is whether the whole record is fit for your recruiting workflow (accuracy, completeness, recency, and compliance readiness).

Which metrics should recruiting ops standardize first?

Start with Deliverability Rate, Bounce Rate, Reply Rate, Connect Rate, and Answer Rate—using consistent denominators (per 100 sent emails, per 100 delivered emails, per 100 dials, per 100 connected calls).

What’s the difference between opt-out and unsubscribe?

Opt-out is a request to stop contact (often global or channel-specific). Unsubscribe is typically an email mechanism and should trigger immediate channel suppression. Treat both as enforceable signals and sync them to your source of truth.

How should we handle opt-outs across multiple tools?

Use one suppression list as the source of truth, then sync it into your email platform, dialer, SMS tool, and ATS/CRM. Treat opt-outs as channel-specific when needed, but always honor global do-not-contact requests.

Is NPI enough to build outreach lists?

NPI is great for matching and de-duplication, but it’s not the same as outreach-ready provider contact data. Use it as an identifier, then apply verification and suppression rules before contacting.

Where do I go next if I need the operational workflow, not just definitions?

Start with provider contact data, then layer in data quality verification so your team can scale outreach without burning time or deliverability.

Next steps

Adopt this glossary internally: paste the Diagnostic Table into your ops wiki and make it the standard.
Turn definitions into workflow gates: add the Weighted Checklist to list build and pre-send QA.
Run a small pilot: use the templates and track the five metrics with consistent denominators.

If you want to move from definitions to execution, start free search & preview data.

About the Author

Ben Argeband is the Founder and CEO of Swordfish.ai and Heartbeat.ai. With deep expertise in data and SaaS, he has built two successful platforms trusted by over 50,000 sales and recruitment professionals. Ben’s mission is to help teams find direct contact information for hard-to-reach professionals and decision-makers, providing the shortest route to their next win. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn.