Author: Van Doornik, William

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2013

There is growing interest within the healthcare payer community to promote patient engagement through various means, including the integration of patient-generated data into clinical care documentation and quality measures. This is evident in the suggestions for stage 3 "meaningful use" EH....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2013

Sink or swim. These are the two choices participants of the "meaningful use" EHR Incentive Program will soon face now that the federal government has opened up the program's deeper, more complex second stage.


Though physician and hospital involvement in the program has incre....

Author: Campbell, Robert James

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2013

A 75-year-old man sits uncomfortably on an examination table as his physician informs him that he needs to get a colonoscopy. The patient, an ex-cop, barks at the physician, “Why after all these years do I need to get a colonoscopy?” The physician coolly responds, “With a....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2013

Prior to the widespread implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), problem lists were usually maintained by physicians through a simple documentation tool in the paper record, such as a "front sheet" or by copying a diagnosis list to a specified area within the paper chart and pla....

Author: Dolin, Robert H; Goodrich, Kate; Kallem, Crystal; Alschuler, Liora; Holtz, Patrice

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2014

Federal quality reporting initiatives are expected to improve our ability to measure the quality of care provided to patients. As Scottish mathematician and physicist Lord Kelvin said more than 100 years ago, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” Measurement, in tu....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 2014

In this web series, HIM professionals working in emerging roles give advice on tackling difficult HIM problems.


The HIM Problem


Developing roles for HIM professionals specializing in the “meaningful use” EHR Incentive Program


The Pro....

Author: AHIMA; et al.

Source: AHIMA testimony and comments

Publication Date: February 21, 2014

AHIMA and other organizations express meaningful use concerns to Secretary of HHS

Author: Warner, Diana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

A warning issued in 2013 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has come to pass. “Meaningful use” Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program audits have begun. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) reported that out of their 1,400 member organizations, almost 100 received audit notices in October 2013, totaling six percent of membership. In order to protect incentive payments earned through the meaningful use program, organizations need to be prepared for every audit contingency and know exactly what to expect. Organizations also need to avoid common mistakes that could lead to an audit and follow best practices for staying compliant to meaningful use standards.

Author: Bronnert, June; Daube, Julie L; Jopp, Gretchen; Peterson, Kathleen; Rihanek, Theresa; Scichilone, Rita A; Tucker, Vanna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

Electronic health records (EHR) have changed the landscape for data representation. For many years health information management (HIM) professionals have relied on classifications for data representation and the support of clinical documentation. SNOMED CT is a data standard frequently used in electronic systems and has been included in the requirements for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) “meaningful use” EHR Incentive Program. SNOMED CT is maintained and distributed by the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO). SNOMED CT is recognized throughout the world, and the terminology is available at no cost. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) serves as the US release center and the IHTSDO member country representative.

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

Sometimes one must call back into the past to understand the present and future.


When it comes to current challenges and successes with electronic health records (EHRs), the ongoing countrywide implementation mirrors that of another revolutionary wired device.