Tips to uncover triggers for internal investigations

How do you know whether your facility should investigate a potential problem? The source of the information, the level of detail, and the amount of information provided all affect whether and at what level an investigation should proceed.

The following are common ways that you can learn about allegations of wrongdoing:

Employee complaints. Employees are often the source of tips regarding compliance issues. A problem could come to your attention through your company's normal line of reporting, an exit interview, or a comment made directly to you. Or it could come to your attention through an anonymous call to your compliance hotline. For a compliance program to meet the standards set by the OIG in its compliance guidance, the program must offer some sort of confidential reporting mechanism.