Why Every Compliance Professional Should Know Auditing Best Practices

A well-rounded compliance officer will understand best practices in auditing standards so they can make sure their organization is shining. Some organizations specialize in such auditing standards, like the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Three of the most important concepts in auditing are independence, objectivity, and proficiency.

• Independence: A good audit will eliminate as much bias and undue influence as possible. The auditor needs to be free of influences that could sway their opinion. One way to do this is to make sure the compliance or auditing department has a charter which is documented and can provide some shielding from the auditor by these influences. Close in this concept is objectivity.
• Objectivity: The auditor should be objective in what they review. One way to do this is to “blind” the auditor. For example, if a medical billing/coder auditor is performing audits of 100 different encounters, just give the auditor the chart information necessary to perform the audit and perhaps leave the provider’s name out of the audit. This way, the auditor will be blind to the provider and only perform the audit based on content alone and not on who was the provider.
• Proficiency: A good auditor will know when they’re venturing into a subject area where they’re not necessarily an expert. Rather than making assumptions, a good auditor will seek out expert advice. For example, a certified coder or auditor may be an expert in neurosurgery. He or she may be asked to also audit a neurologist who specializes in sleep medicine. These types of audit are much different than neurosurgery and the auditor should provide comments on areas of the audit where he or she did not have the necessary expertise that would be required to make an official conclusion.

An outstanding compliance officer who is well-rounded needs to know all of that and then some. Hungry for more?

Download my free eBrief, How to Become a Well-Rounded Compliance Officer, to learn why any well-rounded compliance officer who is worth their weight in gold should:

• Read Voraciously
• Understand Statistics
• Know Auditing Best Practices