Author: Williams, Patricia A.H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Information sharing between healthcare organizations increasingly includes the use of electronic health records (EHRs) as well as data from medical devices that have been integrated into existing networks. When exchanging such data, providers should be mindful not only of the interoperabil....

Author: Gellert, George A; Conklin, George S; Gibson, Lynn A

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: January 2017

Abstract


The Joint Commission recently reversed its prior authorization of the use of secure clinical texting to issue patient care orders, now again prohibiting texting of orders. However, the potential sole or exclusive use of clinical texts to transmit other patient care inform....

Author: Haugen, Mary Beth; Dascher, Paula; Manor, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to the piece “Bridging HIM’s Disconnect with IT” that appeared in the March 2016 Journal of AHIMA.


As healthcare organizations move toward value-based models, health information management (HIM) and informatio....

Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Predicting the future—particularly when it comes to technology—can be a fool’s errand. But it’s a pretty safe bet that one innovation those in the health IT world can expect to hear more about is “blockchain.”


If you’ve heard of blockchain....

Author: Coustasse, Alberto; Kimble, Craig A; Stanton, Robert B; Naylor, Mariah

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: October 2016

Abstract


Healthcare regulators are directing attention to the pharmaceutical supply chain with the passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). Adoption of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has the ability to im....

Author: Hedges, Ron

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

In my last post of 2015 I tried to predict what types of challenges health information management (HIM) professionals might have to deal with in 2016 and beyond. One prediction involved technological innovation, as I surmised that we could “expect to see more and more ‘apps’ being off....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 21, 2016

The mobile app game that has thousand of players roaming streets, parks, and even workplaces—healthcare providers included—has health privacy experts concerned.


Pokémon Go is a smartphone app that uses a phone’s GPS and camera to help players search for virtual chara....

Author: Haugen, Mary Beth; Richardson, Amy

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2016

Consider the following fictional, and perhaps all-too-familiar, conversation between health information management (HIM) department staff and health information technology (IT) staff:


Chief Information Officer (CIO) to HIM Director: “Were you aware that last month we implem....

Author: Taylor, Nathan Patrick

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 25, 2016

If you are new to healthcare analytics, it can be quite expensive to get up and running with a statistical application. Between the cost of the software itself and the instructional courses—not to mention your investment of time—just getting started could run several thousand dollars. Than....

Author: Ostrovsky, Andrey; O’Connor, Lori; Marshall, Olivia; Angelo, Amanda; Barrett, Kelsy; Majeski, Emily; Handrus, Maxwell; Levy, Jeffrey

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: 2016

Abstract


Objective: Hospital readmissions are a large source of wasteful healthcare spending, and current care transition models are too expensive to be sustainable. One way to circumvent cost-prohibitive care transition programs is complement nurse-staffed care transition program....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2015

It is the matchup of the century—the towering hulk of healthcare’s Big Data versus the super computer known as Watson. Will Watson be able to take on this lumbering, untamed mass of information and whip it into submission?


One year ago, the Journal of AHIMA reported on the IBM su....

Author: Voltz, Donald M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2015

According to data published on HealthIT.gov, 173 health IT vendors are supplying certified electronic health record (EHR) products to more than 4,500 hospitals. Despite wide penetration of EHRs in hospitals, clinics, and physician offices, a lack of access to patient information between sy....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2015

In movies and on television lately, Hollywood has made encryption and decryption look exciting, glamorous, and world-saving. The film The Imitation Game and the BBC show The Bletchley Circle chronicle how British code breakers decrypted military strategy codes from the Nazi encryption tool....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2015

When former Vice President Dick Cheney revealed in 2013 that his heart surgeons modified the settings on his pacemaker to reduce the chances the device could be hacked by terrorists, the headlines were predictably alarmist. Fans of the Showtime hit “Homeland” immediately recognized th....

Author: Alharthi, Hana; Sultana, Nahid; Al-amoudi, Amjaad; Basudan, Afrah

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: January 2015

Abstract


Pharmacy barcode scanning is used to reduce errors during the medication dispensing process. However, this technology has rarely been used in hospital pharmacies in Saudi Arabia. This article describes the barriers to successful implementation of a barcode scanning system....

Author: Lee, Howard

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2014

When IBM announced that they were developing a supercomputing system called “Watson,” many fans of literary icon Sherlock Holmes thought of the London-based detective’s trusted friend Dr. John Watson—and not the computer’s actual namesake, IBM founder Thomas Watson. But the mistake isn’t....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

Introduction


Many technologies exist to assist with better clinical documentation and speech recognition technology (SRT) is one solution. Since SRT uses mathematic probabilities, the technology can be complicated. The goals of its use in healthcare today, however, are clear: Increase....

Author: Horowitz, Marc

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

Background:

HIM professionals face many important IT challenges in coming years. By October 1, 2013, US healthcare organizations must convert from the ICD-9 to the ICD-10 code sets in order to maintain regulatory compliance and ensure accurate reimbursements. Simultaneously, due to the A....

Author: Devrick, Jill

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 02, 2011

Responding to Change

Change happens. It’s part of everyday life. If you’ve been in the HIM industry for more than a year or two, you’ve probably gone through at least one, if not several, changes in the technology that you use to do your job. New functionality and fancie....

Author: Cottington, Sarah

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2011

Reporting clinical quality measures from an electronic health record (EHR) system is new territory and can be challenging for providers. However, that is just what eligible professionals must do to participate in the meaningful use EHR incentive program.

Recognizing the challenge, t....

Author: Yaqub, Edwin; Barroso, Andre

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: July 2010

Author: Miaoulis, William M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2009

There can be three situations under which healthcare organizations may need to sequester (or segregate) certain data within a medical record: placing a legal hold in connection with litigation, limiting disclosures of a record pursuant to a request by a patient, and restricting access to sensi....

Author: Morsch, Mark; Stoyla, Carol; Sheffer, Ronald Jr.; Potter, Brian

Source: AHIMA Computer-Assisted Coding Meeting

Publication Date: September 06, 2008

Author: Benson, Sean; Bryant, Gloryanne H.

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 10, 2007

Introduction

Medical documentation and coding practices have undergone significant transformation in recent years.  The cost of transcription, coder shortages, and an increasing emphasis on compliance have all played a role in moving the industry toward more efficient means of addressing....

Author: Koval, Dianne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2007

A pioneering data exchange network shares lessons from its practice management software implementations-a first step in bringing physician offices online.
Mark Foster, MD, waits for his Hudson Valley Primary Care staff to locate the medical record of his next patient. The Wa....

Author: Garvin, Jennifer Hornung; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.; Moeini, Sohrab

Source: AHIMA Computer-Assisted Coding Meeting

Publication Date: September 06, 2006

Author: Benson, Sean

Source: AHIMA Computer-Assisted Coding Meeting

Publication Date: September 06, 2006

Author: Rollins, Gina

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2006

Increasingly, providers are resisting the temptation to customize software. Many have learned the hard way that unique modifications lead to unique costs and unique complications.
We all like to think we’re special. But when it comes to implementing software, providers are usually b....

Author: Harker, Kathy

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2006

Northwest Health System followed a smooth launch of a coding product with something a little more ambitious—a beta version of a document management system.
In April 2005 Northwest Health System in Springdale, AR, implemented Web-based coding to boost productivity. The system....

Author: Gelzer, Reed D.; Trites, Patricia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2006

Test vignettes help evaluate how EHR products handle common documentation needs.
For those who are braving the EHR selection process, there is a great deal of guidance available on how to organize this difficult process. The steady advance of technical standards, functional standard....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2006

This Software license agreement is entered into by and between Sample Software, Inc, a Delaware corporation with principal offices located at 100 Maple Lane, Chicago, Illinois 60601 ("Sample") and _________________, a corporation with principal offices located at ________________ ("Licensee") a....

Author: Giannangelo, Kathy

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2006

When it comes to human interaction with computer applications, there is a belief that if the system gets the job done, even when the user struggles, then the application works. Susan Dray, PhD, a pioneer in human-computer interaction, begs to differ: "If the user can't use it, it doesn't work.....

Author: Williams, Adrian

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2006

Well-designed software screens are more than just user-friendly. They encourage accurate, consistent data capture. An example from coding shows how.
Computer technology is supposed to make our lives easier, especially at work. Sometimes, however, it’s easy to question if this is t....

Author: Levy, Brian

Source: AHIMA Convention | AHIMA Clinical Vocabulary Mapping Meeting

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

Author: Kanter, Andrew S.

Source: AHIMA Convention | AHIMA Clinical Vocabulary Mapping Meeting

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA Foundation

Publication Date: July 11, 2005

Author: Loos, Markus

Source: IFHRO Congress | AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

Introduction

The Charité--University of Medicine Berlin, is the largest hospital in Europe. Its four campuses have about 2,300 beds. The 9,384 employees care for about 100,000 inpatients and about 250,000 ambulatory patients per year. Approximately 4,900 students are instructed in....

Author: Welfeld, Joseph A.

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

by Joseph A. Welfeld, FACHE
Introduction

Data mining often brings to mind complex and comprehensive software applications that take information from various data sources and attempt to extract valuable information. When operational executives hear the term, their eyes often glaze o....

Author: Clark, Jim

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

Medical management has become a catch-all phrase for any computerized system that helps an office run more efficiently. And therein lies the problem: what exactly is a medical management system? Simply put, medical management software is a tool that organizes the various medical and business t....

Author: King, Elaine; Nobles, Lori

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 25, 2003

A career in healthcare software development can be an attractive career choice for HIM professionals. Some people may become dissatisfied with their careers in hospitals because the environment may be seen as chaotic and unstable. The 24-x-7 schedule may not be considered conducive to family....

Author: Mahoney, Mary Ellen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2003

How can a software development company make sure its HIM products meet the needs of its users? By using HIM professionals to design, test, market, implement, and support those products. At Cerner Corporation, experienced HIM professionals play a role in every step of the software development p....

Author: Ruano, Michael

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: September 02, 2003

Part seven in a 10-part series.
This article is the seventh of a 10-part series that introduces the domains of information security and relates them to federal HIPAA regulations. The information security domain of applications and systems development includes topics that cover the craft....

Author: Kawles, Terrance L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2003

As the leading edge of digital portability advances, the protections afforded the “portability” portion of HIPAA become strained. Under the final security standards, covered entities (CEs) must establish procedures and mechanisms to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availab....

Author: Niles, Dirk F.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: February 02, 2003

How many times have you wished for a tool that would make HIPAA easier to manage? What if locating the right regulations was as simple as answering a few questions and receiving a compliance plan? New Web-based services offer users a whole new range of options that can take the mystery out of....

Author: Rhodes, Harry B.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

On February 18, 2002, the University of Southern Alabama Medical Center (USAMC) became the first acute care facility to implement iris scan technology for system access control and user authentication. Currently one of only two hospitals in the country utilizing iris scan technology, USAMC is....

Author: Stanley, Kendall R. Sr.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: October 02, 2002

An employee walks up to the file room door, places her hand on the shiny glass panel, and in an instant the lock clicks, the door opens, and a digitized voice says, “Good morning, Ms. Jones.” Sound like the opening scene of the latest James Bond movie? It could be, but the fantastic vision of....

Author:

Source: AHIMA Advantage

Publication Date: October 2002

Take a look at your desk. Chances are, amidst all the "to do" lists and files, you have a computer and a telephone. Why? These are your tools--your hardware, if you will--for doing your job well and staying in touch with what's happening beyond your desk and your department.
If the compute....

Author: Wheeler, Doug

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: May 02, 2002

The latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on emergency department visits indicates that the number of patient visits continues to climb. If the current increase in patient volume continues, emergency departments across the US will handle approximately 115 mill....

Author: Barnett, David H.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: April 02, 2002

This is the second article in a two-part series.
Background

For over 2,000 years, in all recorded histories and for all civilizations, sending secret messages required that both the sender and receiver share a common secret key. The key that decrypted a message was the same a....

Author: Colgan, Peter

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: July 02, 2001

Wireless computing technologies capable of enabling clinical and administrative decision support throughout the extended healthcare enterprise have arrived! Among the benefits of any wireless healthcare solution is the wide distribution of information throughout the enterprise. This benefit r....

Author: Mills, Chris

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: May 02, 2001

Secure user authentication involves one or more of the following: something you have (smart cards or private keys), something you know (passwords), or something that identifies you (biometrics). Those in need of “strong security” will want to combine two or more of these methods, but for the....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: In Confidence (newsletter) | AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: May 02, 2001

Q: What does the term “cookie”mean when used in reference to the Internet? Are cookies something I need to be concerned about?
A: Cookies are bits of code sent to your computer by the Web sites you visit. These cookies allow sites to collect and store information about your visits. Cook....

Author: Deike, Karen

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: November 02, 2000

Smart cards have long held enormous potential for governments in managing healthcare information and delivering benefits to clients with more efficiency, less fraud, and greater customer satisfaction. But critical to gaining acceptance of the cards is the ability to assure clients that the in....

Author: Walker, Trevor Hight

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: July 02, 2000

HIPAA: even the acronym sounds threatening. Ask your neighbors what they think it means.When I asked mine the most common response was “a multibillion dollar military operation.” They really weren’t that far off.
Seriously, just when CIOs thought it was safe to pack up their IT fatigues....

Author: Ross, Bruce

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: March 02, 2000

Smart cards are a peculiar subject when it comes to healthcare in the United States. They are viewed as everything from an up-andcoming product to an inscrutable and hard to integrate backwater technology. Today, all that is rapidly changing. As shown by its adoption by Microsoft, Sun Micro,....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 1999

Q: I hear a lot of technical terms being used lately by information systems staff and I feel like I'm not speaking their "jargon." Could you clarify the meaning of some of these terms? Specifically, they are SQL, Java, TCP/IP, and IPX.

A: SQL stands for structured query language, whi....