Corporate Compliance

Tip: Reporting hotline activity to the board of directors

Compliance Monitor, October 15, 2008

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An important part of the compliance program rests in the ability of all staff members to report suspect practices. All providers need a mechanism for employees to report possible violations of laws, regulations, policies, procedures, or standards of conduct.
 
Generally compliance programs employ a telephone and/or online system that provides employees with 24/7 access if they want to report concerns on an anonymous basis. The ability of the compliance program to track and address hotline concerns is as important as the system itself.
 
Provide a summary of the hotline reporting system activity on a quarterly basis to the board of directors. Reports commonly include:
  • Total calls received on a periodic basis
  • Total reports broken out by category (e.g., human resources, legal and regulatory, privacy and security, and request for information)
  • Further detail from the allegation summary for high-call areas such as human resources (e.g., workplace conduct, disciplinary action, and unfair termination)
  • The amount of time it takes to close any open hotline issues
This tip was adapted from The Healthcare Compliance Professional’s Guide to Board Reporting. For more information about the book or to order your copy click here



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