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 undoubtedly essential to our role, there is one skill that I think that stands out as indispensable—critical thinking. In this article, I will explore the importance of critical thinking skills, and how it helps the compliance officer in navigating the politics of healthcare.
What is 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:
Curiosity—They ask questions and strive to understand the world around them.
Skepticism—They approach gathering information by questioning the quality, validity and reliability of sources and statements.
Objectivity—Critical thinkers seek to remain impartial and objective by aiming to separate personal biases and emotions from their analysis and decision-making processes.
Evidence-Based—They rely on evidence and facts to support their claims and arguments.
Logical Reasoning—They draw conclusions by making connections between different pieces of information.
Open-Mindedness—While maintaining skepticism, critical thinkers remain open to new ideas and perspectives by being willing to consider alternative viewpoints.
Creative—They are driven to think outside the box by generating new ideas and solutions to problems.
Foresight—Critical thinkers plan ahead by considering various options and potential outcomes.
Self-Reflective—They continually assess their own thought processes and decision-making in order to remain open to the idea of self-improvement and learning from their experiences.
Tips for Critical Thinking
If you seek to achieve the above-noted traits, here are six tips to help you improve your ability to think critically about your compliance work.
Ask more questions (and be curious and not judgmental in your approach).
Identify your assumptions and question them.
Seek out the feedback, insights, and opinions of others, especially those with a differing view.
Develop foresight by thinking 1-2 steps ahead of the move you’re about to make.
Weigh the consequences of different actions/outcomes before you act.
Develop big picture thinking by identifying the end result before you begin your work.
Critical Thinking and The Politics of Healthcare
Developing and refining your critical thinking skills will help you in navigating the politics of healthcare 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 to operations, or conducting an audit or investigation, you will encounter ethical or non-compliance dilemmas. These are the moments that will require careful consideration and resolution. Critical thinking enables you analyze these situations, evaluate potential solutions, and make informed decisions that align the organization’s compliance and business agendas.
Let me give you another example. Assume there is a new regulatory change affecting a department’s operations in your organization. As part of implementing a new and compliant process change, you’ll need to figure out how to articulate complex regulatory requirements in a way that ensures that everyone understands what will be expected of them. Critical thinking helps you organize your thoughts, consider others’ perspective, and anticipate counterarguments. This allows you to develop a solution that is tailor fit to your audience.
Pulling it all Together
Critical thinking skills are a must for any compliance officer. They enable us to navigate complex regulations, interpret requirements and resolve intricate problems. They also allow us to proactively identify and respond to compliance risk, as well as assess information and make reasoned judgments. When you think about it, critical thinking skills permeate just about every aspect of our work on a daily basis.
In the context of navigating the politics of healthcare, 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 shaping a brighter future.
