ACHC Hospice Requirements: Annual In-Service and Orientation Education – MedBridge Help Center

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In order to streamline your organization’s compliance requirements and guide providers through their Hospice onboarding and annual training requirements, MedBridge has worked with the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) to organize coursework that aligns with ACHC standards.

This article provides a list of recommended MedBridge courses that align with ACHC’s hospice guidelines for both annual in-service requirements and orientation requirements, as well as federal training requirements.

These courses can be delivered to your staff via a MedBridge Knowledge Track, which allows you to easily assign and track completion. The suggested Tracks below include coursework organized by ACHC requirement, however these Tracks can be customized to fit your needs, including adding your agency's own custom content. For more information about building Knowledge Tracks, check out Getting Started With the MedBridge LMS.

For information on state-specific regulations and required training, please contact MedBridge support.

Note: Some courses are also available in a shorter microlearning course version, and have been listed as an alternative. These courses may be beneficial for more experienced staff who just need a refresher on these topics.

ACHC Annual In-Service Coursework

Non-direct-care personnel have a minimum of 8 hours of ongoing education per year. Direct personnel must have a minimum of 12 hours of ongoing education during each 12-month period.

The following coursework is approved for the listed mandatory topics for ACHC In-Service requirements per Standard HSP4-6A.01.

Knowledge Track: ACHC In-Service Coursework

ACHC Annual In-Service Mandatory Topics (ACHC Standard HSP4-6A.01)
Mandatory Topic (Standard HSP4-6A.01)	MedBridge Compliance Course Options	Federal Regulation Met
How to handle grievances and complaints, Patient Rights and Responsibilities	Patient Rights in Hospice Care	42 C.F.R. § 418.52 42 C.F.R. § 418.78(a) 42 C.F.R. § 418.112(f)
Infection Control	Infection Control: Standard Precautions and Other Fundamentals or Infection Control Microlearning: Standard Precautions for Clinical and Nonclinical Staff	29 U.S.C. § 654(a) 42 C.F.R. § 418.60 42 C.F.R. § 484.70
Cultural Diversity and Communication Barriers	Inclusive Care: Culturally Competent Resources to Meet Diverse Needs	42 C.F.R. § 484.60(a)
Ethics	Ethics in Healthcare
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	OSHA: Worker Safety in Home Health and Hospice	29 U.S.C. § 654(a)
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	Workplace Violence Microlearning	29 U.S.C. § 654(a)
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	Preventing Incidents and Adverse Events in Home Health and Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.58
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	Fire Safety Microlearning: Emergency Action Plan for Multiple Settings	42 CFR §1910.38 42 CFR §41910.39
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	OSHA Worker Safety Microlearning: Preventing Musculoskeletal and Ergonomic Injuries	29 USC 654(a)
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	OSHA: Bloodborne Pathogens and Standard Precautions	29 CFR §1910.1030
Workplace (OSHA), Patient Safety and Personal Safety Techniques	Emergency Preparedness in Hospice	42 C.F.R. §418.113
Compliance	General Compliance Training for Healthcare Staff or General Compliance Microlearning	42 C.F.R. § 422.503(b)(4)(vi)(C)(1) 42 C.F.R. § 423.504(b)(4)(vi)(C)(1) 42 CFR § 438.608(a)(1)
Methods for coping with work related issues of grief, loss and change	Work-Related Grief, Loss, and Change for Hospice Workers
Pain and Symptom Management	Pain and Symptom Management in Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.54(c) 42 C.F.R. § 418.52

Federal Annual In-Service Coursework

In addition, add the following courses to satisfy federal requirements.

HIPAA: Patient Privacy and Information Security in Home Health and Hospice

P.L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936

42 C.F.R. § 418.104(c)

42 C.F.R. § 484.110(d)

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) in Hospice

42 C.F.R. § 418.58

ACHC Orientation

This training is required for all staff in accordance with ACHC standards and federal regulations. The following coursework is mandatory per Standard HSP4-4A.

In addition to this coursework, agencies must provide employees with:

A review of the individual's job description and duties performed and their role in the hospice organization
An organizational chart
Record keeping and reporting
Written policies and procedures
Training on specific to job requirements
Orientation to equipment, if applicable as outlined in the job description

Knowledge Track: ACHC Orientation Coursework

ACHC Orientation Topics (Standard HSP4-4A)
ACHC Topic	MedBridge Compliance Course Options	Federal Requirement Met
Hospice philosophy Diseases and medical conditions common to hospice	Philosophy of Hospice Care	42 C.F.R. § 418.100(g)(1)
Confidentiality and privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI)	HIPAA: Patient Privacy and Information Security in Home Health and Hospice	P.L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936 42 C.F.R. § 418.104(c)
Patient rights Conveying of charges for care/service Handling of patient grievances/complaints	Patient Rights in Hospice Care	42 C.F.R. § 418.52 42 C.F.R. § 418.78(a) 42 C.F.R. § 418.112(f)
Advance Directives	Advance Care Planning	P.L. 101–508) 42 C.F.R. §418.52(a)(2)
Conflict of interest Ethical Issues	Ethics In Healthcare
Emergency Plan	Emergency Preparedness in Hospice	42 C.F.R. §418.113
Cultural diversity Communication barriers	Inclusive Care: Culturally Competent Resources to Meet Diverse Needs	42 C.F.R. § 418.56(c)
Professional boundaries	Setting Professional Boundaries in Home Health and Hospice
Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) program	Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) in Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.58
Compliance Program	General Compliance Microlearning	42 C.F.R. § 422.503(b)(4)(vi)(C)(1) 42 C.F.R. § 423.504(b)(4)(vi)(C)(1) 42 CFR § 438.608(a)(1)
Infection control Safety	Infection Prevention and Control: Standard Precautions and Other Fundamentals or Infection Control Microlearning: Standard Precautions for Clinical and Nonclinical Staff	42 C.F.R. § 418.60 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)
OSHA requirements Infection control	OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens: Preventing and Responding to Exposure or Bloodborne Pathogen Microlearning: Steps to Take if Exposed	29 CFR §1910.1030
Safety	Workplace Violence Microlearning	29 U.S.C. § 654(a)
Stress Management	OSHA: Worker Safety in Home Health and Hospice	29 U.S.C. § 654(a)
Incident and variance reporting	Preventing Incidents and Adverse Events in Home Health and Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.58
Concepts of death and dying Bereavement	Bereavement Care and Family Dynamics In Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.54(c)(7) 42 C.F.R. § 418.64(d)(1) 42 C.F.R. §418.112(c)(6)
Support for psychosocial and spiritual issues	Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services for Hospice and End-of-Life	42 C.F.R. § 418.52(a)(1)
Pain and symptom management	Pain and Symptom Management In Hospice	42 C.F.R. § 418.54(c) 42 C.F.R.§ 418.52

Additional ACHC Orientation Coursework

Additional training is required as part of baseline ACHC orientation for organizations serving special populations (e.g. pediatrics, substance abuse, disease processes requiring specialized care) per Standard HSP4-4A.

For courses that may satisfy those requirements, please visit our compliance library, or contact MedBridge support.

Note: The courses provided here are only recommendations. Each organization is responsible for ensuring its own compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and accreditation standards, as well as alignment with the needs of its patient population and staff. Always consult your company’s legal or compliance personnel with any questions or concerns related to this subject matter. These recommendations are not a substitute for legal advice for any individual provider or organization.

Article updated: May 2024

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