Healthcare workers and the organizations that employ them are responsible for complying to government regulations to ensure everyone receives equal and competent care. However, unless there’s a formal compliance program in place, the responsibilities for each individual can become confusing and may lead to mistakes. Creating an actionable compliance program will rely on incorporating the following elements.
Create an Operational Handbook
A written or printed handbook should be created and should be provided to all employees to ensure everyone is following the same codes of conduct. The handbook should include the organization’s policies, laws that pertain to the services the organization provides, and methods for completing tasks without deviating from compliance rules. The handbook should be updated regularly to ensure it meets new compliance standards.
Appoint a Compliance Committee
The compliance committee serves a crucial role in that it reviews reports made about instances of noncompliance. The committee is also responsible for updating compliance regulations to ensure they reflect any changes made to the law.
Provide Compliance Training Programs
As the employer, it’s up to you to ensure everyone is properly trained and educated about compliance issues. This type of training should be required for new hires as well as for those moving into new positions within the organization.
Audit Employee Compliance
A system of monitoring and auditing employee performance is also essential in that it provides a means of identifying weak areas. Any issues that compromise compliance should be addressed through a revision of policies, the retraining of the individual, and other changes that can help promote better compliance.
Reporting and Disciplining Compliance Violations
It’s important to develop a means of secure communication for employees to report noncompliance. This will encourage employees to report issues without fearing retribution. Once an issue of noncompliance has been reported and investigated, it will be necessary to discipline the offending individual. Disciplinary measures should be clearly defined in the organization’s compliance handbook and should be carried out uniformly. Regardless of the individual’s position within the organization, the same disciplinary measures should be applied.
Compliance is a serious issue within the healthcare community, so violations cannot be overlooked. When everyone is educated about the organization’s compliance policies and understands the consequences of a violation, there will be fewer issues of noncompliance. This will help create a safer and more efficient healthcare organization, improving the quality of care for every patient.