Warning Signs When Choosing Regulatory Compliance Software

Healthcare compliance regulations are distinctly different from those of other industries for an important reason: providers hold people’s health and lives in their hands. Regulations are numerous, highly-varied across states and accreditation organizations, and constantly changing — making it near impossible for healthcare organizations to keep up with every detail manually. The workload can pile up quickly for compliance admins trying to manage regulatory change alone.

Healthcare regulatory compliance software can help compliance professionals manage their organization’s adherence to the ever-changing laws, rules, regulations, and standards that guide patient safety and care. There are dozens of software solutions out there. It’s important to consider and compare different compliance software solutions before deciding which one to implement as part of your compliance plan.

Because healthcare regulations are highly specific, your healthcare regulatory compliance solutions and the learning management system (LMS) that’s part of it should be, too. Let’s look at seven red flags to watch for when partnering with a healthcare compliance software vendor.

8 Red Flags To Avoid in Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Solutions

Red Flag #1: Training is Not Healthcare Specific

Many learning management systems (LMS) offer features and functions for multiple industries, including healthcare, construction, agriculture, and more. Without healthcare-specific examples or settings, employees are less likely to be engaged and learning. Plus, these evidence and scenario-based courses are required in many healthcare regulations.

Healthcare employees must also complete training on industry-specific regulatory and accreditation standards — general industry training may not apply to The Joint Commission standards, for example. The best healthcare regulatory compliance tools offer a range of healthcare-specific courses that update as fast as compliance regulations change.

Red Flag #2: Lack of Customizable Reporting

In healthcare, customizable reporting is especially vital. Regulatory or accreditation surveyors often request lists of employees who have completed specific training. Selecting software with compliance tracking and reporting to meet these standards is essential. Additionally, look for software that allows you to save favorite reports and set up recurring schedules to ensure ongoing compliance for you and your leadership team.

Red Flag #3: No Healthcare Policy Experts

You wouldn’t ask a plumber to teach a course on infection control. You’d go to an expert who keeps up with the changing healthcare regulations.

A good healthcare regulatory compliance software vendor will have policy experts on staff who will help guide your organization in selecting the required courses and leading the development of content. Be sure to ask if a subject matter expert has vetted the course to ensure the training is correct and complete.

Red Flag #4: Basic Document Storage

Just like a plumber shouldn’t teach compliance, your healthcare regulatory compliance solutions shouldn’t rely on archaic policy management. The best regulatory compliance software offers full-cycle document and policy management in one platform — from writing, editing, and approvals to signature and storage. Today’s technology means you shouldn’t have to manage multiple websites and logins. Automatic version tracking, acknowledgment, and customizable reporting keep you survey-ready, all in one place. You can customize and schedule reports for all records in the system.

Red Flag#5: Lack of Incident Reporting Log

Unlike other industries, healthcare organizations must be able to demonstrate appropriate incident resolution. Healthcare regulatory compliance software should include automatic logging of steps in an incident report for healthcare’s unique challenges.

For example, an OSHA audit uncovers a higher-than-normal number of slips, trips, and falls. The auditor will require proof that your organization is solving the problem. Choose an online incident reporting system that does your hard work and is built for healthcare workflows.

Red Flag #6: A La Carte Pricing

It’s common for software vendors to bundle compliance courses and charge a la carte prices for each bundle. It may initially make sense, but it’s how you can buy more than planned to meet regulatory compliance.

A better option is all-inclusive pricing, which covers a broad range of compliance services for one fee. The compliance solution may include items you may not immediately need, but all-inclusive pricing is more cost-effective in the long run. You receive more comprehensive services that ensure each step of the healthcare compliance process is properly managed. And there are no surprise charges for add-on services not included in an a la carte bundle.

Red Flag #7: Unfamiliar With Care Settings

Regarding regulatory compliance, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for all healthcare organizations. Every healthcare entity is unique, and you need healthcare regulatory compliance software that meets the needs of your specific care setting based on the federal, state, and industry regulations.

For example, staff in long-term care facilities must complete additional courses that are not required for all providers. The incidents employees encounter in an ambulatory surgery center differ greatly from those that behavioral health providers may encounter, which is why customized incident reports, training, and policies greatly enhance compliance rates.

Red Flag #8: Workflows Are Not Enhanced With AI

Leveraging AI is a must for healthcare operations. It’s the best way to increase efficiency and maximize staff time. Look for healthcare regulatory compliance software that incorporates AI tools in a low-risk, high-reward way. For example, identifying areas of non-compliance in existing policies or suggesting compliance training to meet specific requirements. It’s a red flag if a vendor talks about AI, but hasn’t yet implemented it in the software.

Another red flag is AI that makes more work for your team by duplicating processes. AI is meant to increase efficiency, so look for healthcare regulatory compliance solutions that have AI tools that will collaborate with workflows you already have in place.

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Why MedTrainer Is the Best Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Software

MedTrainer has led the Healthcare Compliance Software category since its inception, which speaks volumes about the investments MedTrainer is making to provide the industry with the best healthcare regulatory compliance software.

MedTrainer is the only healthcare compliance platform that offers full-cycle document and policy management designed specifically for healthcare organizations.

Here’s why MedTrainer stands out:

Over 1,000 Courses: Our course library features more than 1,000 carefully curated healthcare topics to meet the industry’s unique needs.
Automated Onboarding: All compliance training, policy reviews, and HR forms can be assigned automatically based on the new employee’s role, department, and location. When the new employee is added to MedTrainer, the healthcare policy management software automatically assigns everything.
AI Tools: Our AI Policy Guardian will continually review your policy content, identify gaps given changes to regulations, and offer precise, regulation-aligned recommendations for updates.
Incident Reporting: Brings incident reports online alongside other compliance tools to help eliminate delays, identify incident trends, and resolve issues quickly.
Policy Management: Simplifies document creation, approvals, e-signatures, distribution, and more with healthcare policy management in one digital platform. Eliminates wasted time, extra software, and outdated processes.
Tracking & Reporting: Compliance tracking and reporting helps you identify gaps in meeting regulatory compliance and offers strong evidence in an audit or inspection.
Electronic Signatures: A mobile-friendly application that incorporates electronic signing into the same place as document creation, management, and reporting.
HRIS Integration: MedTrainer integrates with leading HRIS and payroll platforms, so when new employees are added to the HRIS, they can be automatically assigned all required policies by role, department, or location.
Credentialing Management: Standardize your credentialing workflows with comprehensive provider profiles, provider enrollment software checklists, automated license verification, exclusions monitoring, and more.

See why more healthcare organizations are choosing MedTrainer for their healthcare regulatory compliance software. Request a demo today.

Red Flags When Buying Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Software

Stay ahead of regulatory change and minimize disruptions with these tips.