While there are 7 crucial elements of compliance, when it comes to communication, Bret S. Bissey believes education and training is most importance. Learn more about how education and training relate to compliance guidance and evolving communication techniques. To read the full article, check out http://www.meditract.com/resource-center/communication-and-compliance-message/ and for more information on communication and compliance, visit http://www.meditract.com/resource-center/.

1. The Art of Communication and
the Compliance Message
Posted By:
Bret S. Bissey, MBA, FACHE, CHC, CMPE

2. In the August 2014 issue of Compliance Today,
Bret S. Bissey, MBA, FACHE, CHC, Senior Vice
President, Compliance Services with MediTract
authored an article about the impact of today’s
communication message and methods on
compliance programs.

3. As a former compliance officer (with over 10 years
experience), I am asked frequently about the seven
elements of compliance and specifically, which is the
most important?
My response is that you really cannot do effective
and impactful compliance without all seven being in
place. Some like to refer to each of the elements as
the “blocking and tackling” of your compliance
program.

4. To further explain and demonstrate the point, it is like
asking a college football coach which is the most
important aspect of their program—is it offense,
defense, special teams, line play, the quarterback,
the fullback, recruiting, etc.—hopefully you get the
point: If one element fails, your program probably
isn’t ever going to reach its full potential.

5. But there is one compliance program element,
education and training, that I would like to analyze as
it relates to today’s evolving methods of
communication (sometimes impersonal) and the
impact it has on your compliance program.
So let’s go way back to the beginning of compliance
guidance from the Office of Inspector General’s
Model Compliance Program for Hospitals (1998) and
review the direction given regarding education and
training, as follows:

6. • The proper education and training of corporate
officers, managers, employees, physicians,
and other healthcare professionals, and the
continual retraining of current personnel at all
levels, are significant elements of an effective
compliance program.

7. • A variety of teaching methods, such as
interactive training and training in several
different languages, particularly where a
hospital has a culturally diverse staff, should be
implemented so that all affected employees are
knowledgeable of the institution’s standards of
conduct and procedures for alerting senior
management to problems and concerns.

8. • The OIG suggests that all relevant levels of
personnel be made part of various educational
and training programs of the hospital.
Employees should be required to have a
minimum number of educational hours per
year, as appropriate, as part of their
employment responsibilities.

9. • The OIG suggests that all relevant levels of
personnel be made part of various educational
and training programs of the hospital.
Employees should be required to have a
minimum number of educational hours per
year, as appropriate, as part of their
employment responsibilities.

10. For more information visit
http://www.meditract.com/resource-
center/some-thoughts-on-tone-at-the-top/.