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Spice up your HIPAA training sessions

HIPAA Training Advisor, May 17, 2007

When Glennda Gore was working to develop an additional training session about HIPAA for her hospital's staff, she faced a common dilemma. She was already giving orientation sessions every two weeks for new employees, and veteran staff members took an online refresher course every year. She needed a new way to draw employees to her message.

"In the past, I've done it the old way where I just quoted from our policy. But this year I thought, 'It's been four years of that,' " says Gore, who is the executive director of corporate compliance for McAlester Regional Health Center in McAlester, OK. "What am I going to tell you that you don't already know?"

This question served as the title of her PowerPoint® presentation. It also inspired her to rework her old presentations with a focus on real-life breaches in the news and at the hospital itself. She used those examples to illustrate common compliance problems and start a discussion of how staff members can prevent problems.

Use headlines to attract attention
Using the Internet and free news from HCPro, Inc., Gore pulled together a collection of news headlines about HIPAA violations. She started her presentation by using examples from other facilities and pointing out that staff members at those hospitals probably had as much training on HIPAA as McAlester employees did--and still got into trouble.

"This is a good angle--how do we keep McAlester out of the news?" says Gore. "I think it was effective because people asked appropriate questions. I even heard 'oohs' and 'aahs' in the crowd when I was giving those real life stories." After she had employees' attention, Gore went case-by-case and explained how staff members could similar problems from happening at McAlester. "I can tell them what the standards are but it's really going to hit home a lot more when they see these real life situations," she adds.

Focus on common problems
After the news headlines, Gore's presentation focused on common compliance problems that had occurred in her facility. She picked out case studies from her own records and from conversations with nursing supervisors about what kinds of HIPAA questions they see.

She presented the circumstances of each incident and then asked staff how to handle the situation. Then she moved on to an explanation of the hospital's policies and what exactly the staff should do in such a circumstance. "I made them participate," says Gore. "I presented the issue and then I asked, 'What would you do? What do you think?' " One of her trainers found it helpful to encourage participation by rewarding those who answered with little gifts like candy that she'd throw out into the audience.

Gore then presented an analysis of all the HIPAA complaints at the hospital, detailed how the organization investigated and handled them, and gave statistics regarding the number of disciplined.

"I think they enjoyed seeing that because they're at risk if someone else got in trouble for [an action they've also taken]," says Gore. "They think, 'Well, gee, I do that but nobody's told on me yet. I better stop.' " The analysis also reinforces the point that employees get in trouble for HIPAA violations--and have even lost their jobs over it.

"This is your career," Gore says. "This is the only hospital in town. If you're a nurse and you want to work at McAlester, don't let this affect your career." Depending on how many questions staff members have, the sessions last 25-45 minutes. Although the sessions are mandatory, Gore tries to make the presentations more enticing to staff by handing out lollipops to all who attend. She holds drawings for door prizes at the end of the session, including pens, notebooks, and other items with slogans that promote confidentiality.

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