Building a Culture of Compliance: Beyond Policies and Procedures

Did you know that healthcare compliance failures led to over $20 billion in penalties and settlements last year? 

And yet, the fines aren’t the worst part of failing to be compliant with HIPAA requirements. Real patients had their patient health information leaked, brand reputations were damaged, and an overall breakdown of trust occurred. 

Why aren’t policies enough to prevent breaches? 

Most healthcare organizations have extensive policies and procedures in place, yet compliance still breaks down every day. The truth is, the problem isn’t actually a lack of rules; it’s an overreliance on them.

To get to the root of why healthcare policies aren’t the end-all be-all of compliance, it’s important to understand what a policy-first approach is. A policy-first approach focuses on defining clear rules for how PHI (protected health information) should be handled, based on your organization's specific needs and risks, rather than starting with technical requirements or cybersecurity solutions. 

Don’t get me wrong, training your employees to handle PHI effectively is an incredibly important part of preventing data breaches. However, the threat actors and bad guys are getting more skilled at breaching networks, which means having secure policies is no longer enough to keep them out. 

To prevent a potential data breach at your healthcare organization, it’s important to make compliance a part of your culture, proactive systems, and policies. 

Here are the problems with a policy-first or policy-only approach and how to fix them. 

Problem #1: Policies Don’t Translate to People

One of the biggest problems is that policies are often written in overly technical or legalistic language that staff can't easily understand or internalize. Policies can read like a legal document, and healthcare workers might not understand what that means in day-to-day practice.

This disconnect can create a culture of fear-based compliance, where staff fear punishment from failing to follow compliance policies, more than they see them as part of their role as a healthcare provider. 

This fear-based compliance culture can lead to underreporting or covering up mistakes, a higher risk of hidden errors, and less buy-in from staff. 

What’s the solution? 

Create policies that work for actual humans. Healthcare orginazations need to show their employees why patient data and privacy are a part of their professional success. This looks like using real-life stories and examples to give policies actual meaning and weight. 

Problem #2: Static Rules in a Rapidly Changing Threat World

Most healthcare orginazations write their patient data policies and then maybe check them for changes once a year. Unfortunately, threat actors are always looking for new methods to breach networks and steal patient data. A policy written six months ago may already be outdated.

This can create a major negative consequence when staff begin inventint their own policies or workarounds to get their jobs done. Especially if management is unaware, these shadow systems can create a lot of risk and opportunity for a breach.

What’s the solution? 

To combat this problem you should build a dynamic compliance culture that can adapt in real-time with a healthcare automation platform. Choose a platform that helps you by providing updates, tracking, and aligning your whole organization. 

Problem #3: The "Check-the-Box" Trap

Some organizations treat compliance like a one-time event with a yearly training and quarterly audit, rather than an ongoing, daily responsibility. A “check-the-box” attitude can lead to superficial compliance that looks okay on paper but is not actually securing your organization. You might pass your assessment and still have a lot of risk. 

In fact, most catastrophic failures aren’t happening during your internal audits, they are the result of small everyday mistakes and decisions made by your staff. 

What is the solution? 

The solution is to shift from only talking about compliance as a lead up to your quarterly or yearly assessment. This is done with frequent micro-trainings, open communication on integrity and safety, and giving your staff a platform to keep track of dynamic healthcare policies. 

Creating a Culture of Patient Data Responsibility

Having excellent policies isn’t enough if you don’t have the necessary support from your staff and a culture where everyone is responsible for securing patient data. Make compliance a part of your core values by encouraging communicating (yes, even mistakes) so nothing goes beyond your notice. Evaluate your own organization and whether or not your staff is simply afraid of making mistakes or if they truly want to protect patient health data. 

Choosing a modern platform can help you move from a paper-based policy to a dynamic solution that can change and inform quickly. Create a culture of patient data responsibility by helping your staff understand why protecting patient data is another part of giving excellent care.

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