Question

What factors motivate healthcare organizations to maintain programs aimed at compliance and corporate ethics?

Answer 1

In the health care industry, uniform standards and practices for compliance programs for health care organizations as a whole have not arisen due largely to the diversity of the health care industry. Regardless of the type of health care organization involved, the hallmark of an effective compliance program is the development of standards and procedures that are reasonably capable of reducing the prospect of criminal conduct. This is the key to developing and tailoring an "effective" compliance program for particular health care organizations.

1. Adopting a compliance program concretely demonstrates to the community at large that a provider has a strong commitment to honesty and responsible corporate citizenship.

2. Compliance programs reinforce employees' innate sense of right and wrong.

3. An effective compliance program helps a provider fulfil its legal duty to the government and private payors.

4. A compliance program provides a more accurate view of employee and contractor behaviour relating to fraud and abuse.

5. The quality of care provided to patients is enhanced by an effective compliance program.

6. A compliance program provides procedures to promptly correct misconduct.

7. An effective compliance program may mitigate any sanctions imposed by the Government.

Factors:

• Moral sensitivity
• Moral Judgement
• Moral Motivation
• Moral courage
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Problem Recognition
• Division of labour
• Co-ordination and control