The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently updated its General Compliance Program Guidance.[1] The guidance provides compliance officers with a multitude of ways to ensure their organizations’ training and education programs are comprehensive and specific to the risks of the organizations they serve.
According to the updated guidance, board members, employees, officers, contractors, and medical staff should be trained at least annually.
Compliance committee involvement
OIG suggests the compliance officer engage the help of the compliance committee with the development and review of an annual training plan that outlines the topics and target audience for the education. The training plan should also require licensed staff to complete all education their respective licensing board expects.
The compliance committee should ensure training is accessible if the audience is culturally diverse and may need to make the materials available in several languages. The compliance committee also must ensure that there are ways for participants to ask questions, such as submitting questions to the compliance officer through email.
Compliance committee members are also encouraged to assist with delivering compliance training and information in meetings they attend to help “normalize” compliance as part of the organization’s culture.
