Training Healthcare Employees to Meet Compliance Requirements

What are the mandatory requirements for training healthcare employees on compliance and how can you determine if the training meets the required standards?

Owning a healthcare practice requires providing training to employees on subjects such as HIPAA, fraud, harassment, discrimination, etc. You may ask, what does it take to meet the standards set by enforcement agencies? The key is to remember that while the topics are legally mandated, the method of training can differ.

What is involved in training your healthcare employees to meet compliance requirements?

Employee training on regulations, processes, and policies is vital to ensure compliance with state and federal obligations. Training can come in various forms, including written materials, programs, scenarios, Q&A sessions, etc. Combining methods can improve learning outcomes and cater to diverse learning styles and role-specific needs. While outsourcing is not required, it can ease the administrative burden of preparing comprehensive training.

Significance of Training

Effective training enhances control and reduces the chance of healthcare non-compliance. Training should prepare employees for real-life situations in the healthcare setting, like HIPAA training on policies and procedures to fulfill reporting obligations. Fraud, waste, and abuse training should warn against False Claims Act violations and prohibited practices. Understanding the risks of illegal actions can prevent staff missteps and secure the business.

What Is “Adequate” Training?

Some states have clear training requirements for sexual harassment training for employers with a certain number of employees. However, federal healthcare training regulations are less defined. Many laws mandate training for employees, but don’t provide a specific program or standard for the training’s level. For example, HIPAA’s Privacy Rule requires training to be “necessary and appropriate,” but doesn’t give guidance on developing training programs. The absence of guidelines may lead to minimal training, such as only providing manuals or fact sheets. But, the more effort and resources invested in training, the stronger the compliance measures in place.

Practices should aim to conduct training:

• During onboarding for new hires
• Regularly for current employees
• When policies change
• When federal or state healthcare compliance laws change.

Ideally, training for your healthcare employees for compliance requirements, should be interactive with opportunities for staff to ask questions and should provide employees with an understanding of laws and consequences, as well as problem-solving skills. Training can vary depending on practice size, staff, risk tolerance, and function.

Healthcare practices should aim to educate their staff members on compliance standards, even when training requirements are not clear. Training should not just be seen as a box to check, but rather as a tool to prevent non-compliance. A healthcare attorney can assist in creating policies and determining appropriate training goals. Here at Dike Law Group, a free consultation can be scheduled to learn more about our services.