Almost every industry has guidelines that must be followed which makes the phrase “culture of compliance” a pretty common one.  HIPAA is best managed when it is built into a culture of compliance just like the others.  What does that mean and how do you create it in your business?

A culture of compliance is when your compliance policies, procedures and obligations are part of your everyday business processes and decision making.  HIPAA can and should be that in your office.  It is just a matter of getting everyone involved in the process and always asking the questions about how compliance fits in when you do your work and planning.

We have had so many conversations with people who want us to give them a magic bullet approach to compliance.  Some people believe you can just go through some painful steps and you are done.  It just isn’t the case.  Decisions are made every single day.  Activity needs to be monitored and documented regularly.

Start today.  What can you do tomorrow to improve your compliance standing?  Pick one small thing and accomplish it.  Tell your team about it and you are on your way to building your culture of compliance.  Make it part of your daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks for everyone because it fits in everywhere.  Once you have done that, it becomes second nature to be compliant and not an overwhelming task.

Filed under: HIPAA Tagged: Business Associates, Compliance, HIPAA, Small Provider