UW Medicine compliance courses are designed to help our clinicians and employees understand their role and responsibilities to comply with complicated regulatory requirements in the workplace. Compliance courses cover a variety of topics including patient information privacy, prevention of fraud, waste and abuse, conflicts of interest, EMTALA, and billing compliance.
UW Medicine has an obligation to ensure staff and providers receive training at hire and annually. Compliance training is expected by federal regulators and is required through contracts with our payors. Many of the principles covered in these trainings are included in the UW Medicine compliance program policies.
The majority of our courses are online and assigned through the UW Medicine Learning Hub or Valley Medical Center Percipio LMS. Compliance specialists are also available to provide education virtually or in-person upon request. See below for course descriptions.
Core Compliance Courses:
Mandatory Compliance Training (Annual)
Mandatory Compliance Training (Annual) is an annual review of important healthcare compliance concepts.
By completing this training, workforce members will understand:
- The elements of our healthcare compliance program
- The services provided by UW Medicine Compliance
- How to recognize possible triggers of healthcare fraud and abuse laws
- The key concepts of conflicts of interests and standards of ethical behavior
- Workforce responsibilities for safeguarding patient privacy and data stewardship
- How to obtain answers to compliance questions and report a compliance concern
- Their responsibilities under the UW Medicine Code of Conduct
General Compliance Training (GCT)
The GCT is a comprehensive overview of compliance content areas intended to educate new workforce members about the UW Medicine Compliance Program and their responsibility to follow all applicable laws and policies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
This course covers the following topics:
- Overview of the UW Medicine Compliance Program
- Fraud, Waste & Abuse Prevention
- Conflicts of Interest & Ethics
- EMTALA & Washington State Providing Information to Patients Law
- Reporting Concerns
- UW Medicine Compliance Code of Conduct
Protecting Patient Information (HIPAA) Training
This course explains how to identify and safeguard patients’ protected health information (PHI), and how and when to contact UW Medicine Compliance for questions or assistance. Concepts covered in this course include:
- Recognize and appropriately use patients’ PHI
- Best practices for safeguarding PHI
- Recognizing individual rights protected under HIPAA and know what to do when a patient raises them
- How to obtain UW Medicine Compliance assistance and resolution
Specialty Compliance Training Courses:
Anti-Kickback Statute Training
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) prohibits remuneration intended to induce referrals or purchases of medical services or items covered under a federal healthcare program, or any state healthcare program that uses any federal monies. Concepts covered in this course include:
- Why the AKS statute was passed
- Who the AKS statute applies to
- Key AKS components including penalties and exceptions
- How to recognize and avoid common AKS noncompliance
- How the Physician Payment Sunshine Act affects AKS compliance
- How to find answers to compliance questions and report a compliance concern
This course is instructor-led and provided upon request.
Clinical Billing Compliance Training
Clinical billing compliance education explains the guidelines that govern medical billing and coding protocols in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies. Additional focused training is provided based on areas of practice. Concepts covered in these courses include:
- Compliant coding, billing, and documentation requirements
- Maintaining the integrity of the Electronic Health Record
- Recognizing medical necessity documentation obligations
- How to distinguish level selection for evaluation and management services
- How to get assistance with billing compliance questions
Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Training
This course explains how to comply with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Concepts covered in this course include:
- How to identify patients who have an emergency medical condition
- Interpreting the 250-yard rule
- Understanding what constitutes a proper medical screening examination
- Know what constitutes stabilizing treatment
- How to conduct, recognize, and communicate appropriate patient transfers
- Documenting and reporting EMTALA issues