You Should Continuously Monitor Healthcare Workers. Here’s Why:

Trust is the bedrock of the relationship between patients, clinicians, and healthcare organizations.  Unfortunately, because of national discourse, we’re experiencing an erosion in trust around the issues of health, policy, and science. The healthcare industry faces a shortage of skilled workers, skyrocketing expenses, and re-establishing confidence between patients and providers. This isn’t just the result of COVID-19; confidence in healthcare organizations has declined over the past half-century. Healthcare systems currently invest in strategies to convince people that they put patients’ best interests above any financial or nonfinancial self-interest of their own. This includes practices that ensure patients feel safe and confident with their providers. However, rebuilding dialogue and trust is a complex task, and it begins with clinicians. 

Cultivating trust starts with hiring the right people.  A healthcare system’s reputation is built on the quality of its providers. That is why the healthcare industry conducts some of the most stringent background checks to hire the most qualified, skilled, and moral people.

However, people change over time. Whether they change from circumstances in their personal life or temptation from outside pressures, it’s essential to know when an employee begins to engage in risky behaviors. In the past, employers were unable to identify employees who put their organizations at risk. Now, healthcare systems add employee monitoring to their strategy to rebuild patient trust and mitigate risk and reputational damage.  

What Is Employee Monitoring?

Employee monitoring is simple and low cost, but the results can be priceless. Different monitoring services help in different ways. For example, criminal monitoring alerts you when a current employee is arrested, while driver monitoring alerts alert you of EMT drivers who receive DUIs (as one example). OIG and other exclusion lists may also be monitored.

Continuous criminal monitoring (CCM), a new tool for HR, safety, and security, builds trust and protects companies. CCM aids employers by giving them an up-to-date profile of healthcare workers with near real-time alerts when a current employee gets arrested. Read on to learn how this service will benefit your healthcare organization.

4 Ways Employee Monitoring Benefits the Healthcare Industry

Keeps Your Patients Safe

Chances are that patients don’t want to be treated by doctors with a history of violent crimes or sexual misconduct. A trip to the doctor for anything from a check-up to surgery can be a daunting experience because it requires a certain amount of intimacy between patients and providers. Therefore, healthcare employers should take every step to guarantee they only employ doctors and nurses who patients can trust with their bodies, personal information, and, in some cases, lives.

Building a high level of trust by having a solid workforce safety strategy in place will benefit your company’s relationships with patients and, most importantly, keep people safe. Consider adding employee monitoring to your security plan. Instant, actionable alerts when an employee gets charged with a violent crime or added to the registered sex offender list allows you to quickly take action before a patient ends up in a risky situation.

Allows You to Help Employees Struggling with Addiction

Due to easy access and pressures from the job like working long, late hours and facing emotional and intense situations, many healthcare workers turn to drugs to cope. In fact, doctors and nurses account for some of the highest rates of addiction in the workforce, with 1 in 10 physicians falling into drug or alcohol abuse at some point in their lifetimes. Addiction in healthcare workers should be taken seriously. Not only does it endanger your workers, but it also puts patients’ safety at risk.

With workforce monitoring, you will receive an alert when an employee gets arrested for a drug- or alcohol-related offense. This allows you to intervene and offer help before an employee’s addiction worsens. Luckily, there are many treatment options designed specifically for medical professionals. The combination of receiving intel from your continuous criminal monitoring service and being prepared with treatment options will help combat the issue of addiction in your healthcare facility in a way that supports your workforce.

Reduces Workplace Theft

Theft of medical supplies and drug diversion cost the healthcare industry tremendous amounts of money. In 2018, the misuse and theft of drugs totaled $164 million. An even larger problem: drug diversion puts patients and the public at risk of receiving deadly opiates like fentanyl or infections like hepatitis C. Tackling this issue is essential for public health and the wellbeing of your organization, but where do you start? With an issue as complex and widespread as this one, leaders in the healthcare industry need to build a strategy that addresses every aspect of safety and security in the workplace.

One essential aspect of building a safe workplace is verifying that employees’ behaviors outside of work reflect your company’s brand and commitment to safety. Continuous criminal monitoring, a simple and quick solution, will help you identify employees who display concerning criminal behaviors related to theft before they become a liability to your company. With instant and actionable results, employee monitoring will make building a secure work environment a little easier.

Mitigates the Risk of Bad Publicity & Legal Action

Employees represent a company’s brand. Whether it’s a doctor engaging in hate speech online, an ambulance driver who receives several DUI’s, or a nurse accused of theft, risky employees seriously impact a medical company’s reputation. When these issues go unnoticed, it can lead to costly legal action and negative press, stifling healthcare companies’ growth and wellbeing. Though preventing these situations is no easy task, advancements in technology make it a little easier to improve your company’s security strategy every year.

Employee monitoring services like continuous criminal monitoring, social media monitoring, and driver monitoring are the future of background checks. Innovating your business’s background check process to automatically screen employees past the initial hire will get you closer to developing the strongest defense against events that attract negative attention from the press and potentially cost your company millions in legal damages.

Your Innovative Solution to Maintain Safer Hospitals & Clinics

The latest innovation in background screening, Continuous Criminal Monitoring, scans nationwide arrest data 24/7 to send near real-time alerts when a current employee gets arrested. We know your healthcare company has unique needs, so we will work with you to tailor our employee monitoring services to best suit your business. Plus, with compliance built into our technology, you’ll receive actionable results every time. Rest easy knowing your employees and patients are protected with this added layer of security.

Wondering where to start? Reach out to an InfoMart sales representative today to receive assistance or read more about our employee monitoring services here.

I would love to hear from you and connect; add me on LinkedIn to keep in touch.

About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.