Week 5 –
Discussion 2 – Legal Issues in the Workplace
This discussion has two options. Please choose either Option A or Option B to
respond to and indicate which option you chose.
Option A: Imagine you are in charge of Anywhere Hospital’s
compliance program. As part of the hospital’s orientation program, you
provide an overview of the compliance program to new employees. Outline
what information you will include in your presentation. (Case Study, p. 319) In
your response, please be sure to address the following:
1. What is the
purpose of implementing a compliance program in a health care facility?
2. What are the compliance program
guidelines and how are they enforced in the workplace?
3. How do compliance programs help to prevent fraud and abuse
in health information management? Please provide at least two examples.
Option B: Anywhere Hospital recently experienced negative
publicity in the local community because of some unethical actions taken by a
few of its employees concerning protected health information. The hospital
subsequently took disciplinary action against those employees. Hospital
administration has asked you to serve as part of a task group to address
ethical issues in the workplace. The work product your task force produces will
be used to prevent recurrence of these unethical actions. (Case Study, p. 350).
In your response, please be sure to address the following:
1. What are the
components of a comprehensive ethics and compliance program?
2. What are the consequences of violating national, state, and
local policies concerning protected health information (i.e., HIPAA)?
3. What primary areas will you recommend the task force focus
upon? Please discuss at least two recommendations.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor in charge of creating college assignments and answers for medical college students, I will provide answers to Option A and Option B of Week 5 Discussion 2 – Legal Issues in the Workplace.
Option A:
When providing an overview of the compliance program to new employees of Anywhere Hospital, it is essential to cover certain aspects. These aspects include the purpose of implementing a compliance program in a health care facility, compliance program guidelines, enforcement in the workplace, and how compliance programs help to prevent fraud and abuse in health information management.
1. The purpose of implementing a compliance program in a health care facility is to ensure that all the activities are aligned with legal regulations, industry standards, and ethical principles. By doing so, a health care facility can minimize its legal and regulatory risks, which may result in costly penalties, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Compliance programs also help to establish a culture of accountability, integrity, and transparency within the organization.
2. Compliance program guidelines are a set of policies, procedures, and practices that a health care facility must follow to meet regulatory requirements. The guidelines cover areas such as billing and coding, privacy and security, quality of care, human resources, and patient safety. The enforcement of compliance program guidelines in the workplace is done through monitoring, auditing, and reporting mechanisms. Employees who violate the guidelines may face disciplinary actions, such as suspension or termination of employment.
3. Compliance programs help to prevent fraud and abuse in health information management in several ways. Firstly, they ensure that health information is accurate, complete, and confidential, thus reducing the risk of identity theft, insurance fraud, and medical errors. Secondly, they establish controls over access to health information, preventing unauthorized disclosures and breaches. Two examples of how compliance programs help to prevent fraud and abuse in health information management are: (i) by requiring the use of strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to access electronic health records, and (ii) by conducting regular privacy and security awareness training for employees.
Option B:
When addressing ethical issues in the workplace of Anywhere Hospital, there are certain components of a comprehensive ethics and compliance program that must be considered. Additionally, it is essential to address the consequences of violating national, state, and local policies concerning protected health information (i.e., HIPAA). Finally, the task force must focus on primary areas that will help prevent recurrence of unethical actions.
1. The components of a comprehensive ethics and compliance program include: (i) a written code of conduct that outlines ethical principles, standards of conduct, and reporting mechanisms for violations, (ii) a training program that educates employees about the code of conduct, applicable laws, and policies, and (iii) an auditing and monitoring program that assesses the effectiveness of the compliance program, identifies risks, and reports non-compliance.
2. The consequences of violating national, state, and local policies concerning protected health information may include civil and criminal penalties, fines, and imprisonment. Employees may also face disciplinary actions, such as suspension or termination of employment. The hospital may also face reputational damage and loss of trust from patients and stakeholders.
3. The primary areas that the task force should focus on to prevent recurrence of unethical actions are: (i) training and awareness programs that educate employees about the importance of maintaining confidentiality and privacy of health information, (ii) auditing and monitoring programs that detect and report violations of policies and regulations, (iii) reporting mechanisms that encourage employees to report violations without fear of retaliation, and (iv) disciplinary actions that hold employees accountable for their actions.
