Telehealth Compliance
As the head of Compliance in the telemedicine industry, you understand that all efforts must be made to ensure patient safety, comply to regulations, lower liability risks, and maintain the overall effectiveness of the network. As critical stakeholders in the healthcare system, clinicians, employers and patients alike rely on the healthcare organization to ensure that everyone is up-to-date on the latest certification, training and licensure requirements. Although commitment to compliance is always a priority, failing to integrate a certification tracking software into the healthcare organization’s workflow can result in dire consequences.
From a compliance perspective, not having a certification tracking software can lead to significant non-compliance exposure. This is because the organization has not taken the necessary precautions to ensure that all regulatory and industry standards are met. Because healthcare organizations operate in a highly regulated environment, failing to meet such requirements can attract harsh penalties, ranging from financial penalties to loss of accreditation status. Moreover, not having a certification tracking system means that the organization is vulnerable to not only investigation, but also civil liability. In the case of medical malpractice, for example, the opposing party might use the lack of a certification tracking software to argue that a healthcare practitioner practised beyond their scope of knowledge and/or experience, which could in turn raise negligence and liability claims.
The financial implications of not integrating a certification tracking system into the organization are also noteworthy. Without a proper auditing system in place, there is a much higher likelihood of human error and data discrepancies that can result in over-payment and misallocation of resources. This can lead to budgetary overruns, as the organization would have to pay out funds unknowingly, while having to deplete its resources to sort out the errors.
Moreover, there can be reputational implications as a result of not having a certification tracking system. It has been proven time and time again that a tarnished reputation can be both costly and difficult to repair. As the compliance officer, you know this all too well. In this case, the lack of a certification tracking system can exhibit the organization in a negative light, and make patients, investors, and other stakeholders less likely to trust the organization.
From a risk mitigation standpoint, investing in certification tracking software is a must for any healthcare organization. With such a powerful ‘command center’, the organization will be better equipped to manage data, minimize compliance risk, comply with regulatory and industry standards, and show its commitment to patient safety. Furthermore, the certificate tracking system can be used to set automated reminders, generate reports, and ensure that healthcare practitioners are kept up-to-date with the latest certification, training and licensure information – helping to ensure procedures are performed in the most up-to-date and accurate manner possible.
Given the wide ranging implications of not integrating a certification tracking system into the healthcare organization’s workflow, it is paramount to make such an investment. As the head of compliance in the telemedicine industry, you possess the authority to ensure that such investments are made in order to protect the organization, its personnel, and its patients.
