Welcome back to our eLearning Compliance Series! In our first post, we explored how to set realistic training goals, with a great recommendation from our advisory board: while 100% compliance is the gold standard, 85% to 90% is a more practical and commonly accepted benchmark.
In this post, we’re taking it a step further by asking a critical question: Is the data you’re looking at actually accurate? Because even the best goals can fall flat if the numbers you’re using to track progress are giving you a false sense of success—or a false alarm.
Before we dive in, we want to thank our Healthcare Academy Advisory Board for their invaluable, experience-based feedback on this topic. Their practical insights into how data should be gathered, filtered, and interpreted helped shape this post—and they’re helping facilities across the country get more from their LMS.
Data That Works: Why Accuracy Matters
You can’t manage what you don’t measure—but just as important, you can’t trust numbers that don’t reflect reality. A compliance rate that looks high might be covering hidden gaps. One that looks low might actually be stronger than it seems. In both cases, you need clean, consistent, well-timed data to make informed decisions and truly improve outcomes.
Healthcare Academy’s real-time reporting tools give you a powerful window into your staff’s training progress—but only if your data inputs are solid.
Skewed Data & False Positives: What They Are and Why They Matter
Let’s talk about two major reporting pitfalls: skewed data and false positives.
Skewed data happens when compliance reports are pulled without the right filters or without updating key inputs. It’s easy to misinterpret your success rate when outdated courses, terminated employees, or irrelevant training are mixed into your report.
False positives are even more dangerous—they show higher compliance than actually exists, which can lead to missed deadlines, failed audits, and overlooked training gaps.
Here’s how it happens—and how to fix it:
- Inactive or Terminated Employees: If they’re still in your LMS, they’ll show up as “incomplete,” bringing down your numbers—or worse, they might be counted as “complete” and falsely boost your stats.
- Training Delivered Outside the LMS: Group sessions or in-services that aren’t logged into the system may not get credit, making it look like people didn’t complete required learning.
- Including Non-Regulatory Courses: Optional or role-specific courses (like MDS or CE modules) shouldn’t be included in your core compliance reports. Including them inflates your course pool and deflates your actual completion rate.
- Bad Timing: Running a compliance report before the training deadline can create misleading results. Make sure your report schedule aligns with course due dates to avoid premature conclusions.
- Courses Not Dropped: When staff move roles or departments and still have old training assigned, those unneeded courses show up as “incomplete”—falsely lowering your numbers.
The result? Reports that don’t tell the real story.
Finding Your Magic Number
Thanks to our board’s on-the-ground experience, here are five proven strategies to ensure your reports are accurate, trustworthy, and actionable:
- Exclude Non-Regulatory Courses from Compliance Reports
Filter out elective or continuing education courses like Nurse CE and MDS. These aren’t required for compliance and can distort your overall completion rate. - Align Report Timing with Course Deadlines
If your reports are run monthly but courses are assigned quarterly, you’re setting yourself up for confusion. Match your reporting schedule with course timelines to reflect true progress. - Remove Inactive and Former Employees from Reports
This one is big. Anyone no longer working in your facility should be removed from LMS-generated reports to avoid incorrect data. - Use Drop Dates to Clean Up Irrelevant Courses
Make sure course assignments that no longer apply are dropped. This keeps reports focused only on what’s actually required. - Document Group Learning in the LMS
If a training session takes place in a group setting, be sure to log each employee’s completion in the LMS so the credit is counted.
The People Behind the Numbers: Training Your LMS Administrators
Accurate data doesn’t just happen. It requires knowledgeable, well-trained LMS administrators who understand the system and can manage it effectively.
Start by identifying the individuals in your facility responsible for eLearning tracking. These staff members should receive thorough, hands-on training—not just a login and a quick tutorial.
Healthcare Academy is here to help. We offer live support, access to real people, and expert-led sessions to ensure both new and experienced admins are confident in using the system.
Consider making LMS admin training a core part of your onboarding process, and don’t forget that even seasoned users can level up their skills. With new features and tools being added regularly, ongoing training helps ensure your data stays sharp, accurate, and useful.
Reports as Roadmaps: Turning Data Into Direction
When your LMS is clean and your data is solid, reports transform from simple numbers into something far more valuable—a roadmap guiding real progress. With accurate reporting, you can quickly detect early signs of non-compliance before they escalate, pinpoint department-specific challenges that might otherwise go unnoticed, and identify teams who are leading the way in performance. This clarity allows you to provide targeted support exactly where it’s needed and confidently celebrate meaningful growth. Most importantly, reliable reporting equips leadership with the insights they need to make informed decisions swiftly and effectively.
Great Data = Informed Decisions
When everyone—from administrators to department heads to executive leadership—is working from accurate, timely data, training becomes something measurable, manageable, and meaningful. It’s not just about checking boxes—it’s about building a culture of accountability, learning, and quality care.
Coming Up Next:
In the next post of our eLearning Compliance Series, we’ll tackle accessibility and motivation. You’ll learn how to use mobile-friendly formats, microlearning modules, and gamification to boost engagement and drive results—without adding more work to your already full plate.
Because improving compliance isn’t just about tracking—it’s about inspiring participation.
Thanks again to our advisory board for helping us spotlight the real-world challenges and solutions behind compliance reporting. With the right tools, support, and strategy, your numbers can finally tell the truth—and help you reach your goals with confidence.
You’ve got the data. Now make it count!
Author
Amanda Keith, MSN, RN, PHN, PhD
Healthcare Academy Clinical Content Manager
