Tip: How to get cooperation from employees and staff during an internal investigation
Compliance Monitor, August 20, 2008
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Compliance Monitor!
An internal investigation obviously requires you to interview the subject of the complaint. However, in many cases other employees may have helpful information, too. However, staff members on the receiving end of an investigational interview may have the following concerns:
- Fear they have unknowingly done something wrong and will lose their job
- Concern they may implicate a coworker and be responsible if he/she loses his/her job.
- Fear of being viewed as being disloyal or a “rat” by other employees
- Concern about working with an accused employee who is later found not to have done anything wrong
- Concern about being sued by an accused employee for defamation
Each of these concerns stands in the way of obtaining information you need. However, it is the employee’s duty to the organization to disclose and information he or she may have about potential noncompliance. Remind employees about this duty; explain that by assisting with the investigation, they are doing the right thing, for the right reasons.
Don’t be afraid to directly attack the notion of someone being a “rat.” Describe how the organization investigates matters, not due to someone’s personal vendetta, but to protect the integrity of the company, its employees, and its patients.
Explain the organization’s duty to its patients by ensuring that employees act with integrity. By helping with the investigation, the employee helps to protect the organization and its patients.
This tip was adapted from the Internal Investigations Handbook. For more information about the book or to order your copy, click here.
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Compliance Monitor!
Comments
0 comments on “Tip: How to get cooperation from employees and staff during an internal investigation ”
Related Products
-
Strategies for Health Care Compliance
News and real-life examples to increase the effectiveness of your compliance program. Strategies for Health Care Compliance...
-
Compliance Monitor
This HTML e-mail newsletter delivers news on Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, as well as recent documents and targets...
-
Medicare Weekly Update
Each issue of Medicare Weekly Update includes the latest CMS proposed and final rules, CMS manual revisions, and...
-
Medicare Update for Physician Services
Medicare Update for Physician Services is a free, monthly e-zine that delivers news and information to help physician...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- Identify potential Medicaid RAC target areas
- Capturing all necessary codes for IUD insertion and removal can be challenging
- Topic: CMS, OESS post new security compliance review information, checklist
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- Q&A: Acute respiratory failure diagnosis does not require intubation
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- E-mailed
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- CMS has reformulated payments for some bilateral procedures
- Oxygen Cylinder Storage Requirements
- Q&A: Follow CMS' coding guidelines when using modifier -25
- Understand the spine to code back procedures correctly
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- New conflicts of interest create new challenges
- Searched