From scheduling patients to delivering care to reimbursement, healthcare is an industry functioning under a mountain of regulations in the United States. To help navigate this mountain, healthcare organizations have us—the compliance officer—to identify and respond to issues.
While knowledge of the applicable healthcare regulations is crucial to our role, there is one “essential” skill that I think stands out as indispensable: critical thinking.
Critical thinking is a cognitive process that involves analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to make informed decisions and solve problems. It’s a skill that allows an individual to assess information, identify flaws, and make reasoned judgments.
Critical thinkers can be characterized by the following traits: curious, skeptical, objective, logical, open-minded, creative, forward-thinking, and self-reflective.
If you seek to achieve the above-noted traits, here are six tips to help improve your ability to think critically about your compliance work.
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Ask more questions (be curious and nonjudgmental in your approach).
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Identify your assumptions and question them.
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Seek out the feedback, insights, and opinions of others—especially those with a differing view.
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Develop foresight by thinking one to two steps ahead of the move you’re about to make.
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Weigh the consequences of different actions/outcomes before you act.
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Develop big-picture thinking by identifying the end result before you begin your work.
Developing and refining your critical thinking skills will help you as you approach your compliance work. For example, consider the part of your job that is that of a problem solver. Whether you are consulting operations or conducting an audit or investigation, you will encounter ethical or noncompliance dilemmas. These are the moments that will require careful consideration and resolution. Critical thinking enables you to analyze these situations, evaluate potential solutions, and make informed decisions that align with the organization’s compliance and business agendas.
Critical thinking skills are a must for any compliance officer. They enable us to navigate complex regulations, interpret requirements, and resolve intricate problems. Critical thinking also allows us to proactively identify and respond to compliance risk, as well as assess information and make reasoned judgments. When you think about it, these skills permeate just about every aspect of our work daily. Critical thinking positions us to communicate effectively with others and build stronger relationships within the organization—which not only helps obtain buy-in but can unlock your potential to shape a brighter future.