Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

There are two basic approaches to the ICD-10 transition: (1) a late, mad scramble to get systems converted before the deadline; or (2) an intentional cultivation that uses the transition to improve business processes, documentation, and clinical care. Three organizations offer a picture of the....

Author: Butler, Rhonda R.; Mills, Ronald E; Averill, Richard F.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

Automation is a major help in converting to the ICD-10 code set, but it is not a magical solution. In fact, skipping a human review of converted systems exposes an organization to legal and financial risk.

People who are secondary users of coded medical records-who see only the resul....

Author: Bass, Deb

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2011

Every health information exchange must determine how it will gain consent from patients to share their information. The Nebraska Health Information Initiative chose opt out and with good communication and management has maintained a high rate of patient participation.

Even afte....

Author: Voigt, Chris; Torzewski, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2011

Some HIEs were surprised when the federal government announced a project to enable direct provider-to-provider information exchange. But CareSpark, an HIE piloting the lightweight exchange method, is seeing the benefits for users and a logical integration into the services it offers....

Author: Haas, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

Since 2007 Massachusetts General Hospital has been working toward a do-it-yourself model for records requests. Not only does the organization save time and money when patients fulfill their own requests, the model also aligns with the emerging philosophy of patient-centered care, wher....

Author: Miller, Amy; Ridpath, Debra

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 2010

Remote coding is helping organizations attract and retain experienced coding professionals at a time when highly skilled coding professionals are in short supply. Successfully implementing a remote coding program requires that facilities have their entire clinical documentation online and qual....

Author: Fera, William A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2010

Healthcare has made significant progress on capturing data electronically, but it still struggles to leverage it fully. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is making inroads by harmonizing data from different settings and systems into a single view.

Since well before the turn....

Author: Younkin, Jim

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2010

A study authored by the Center for Information Technology Leadership found a completely interoperable healthcare system (that is, each organization could share every piece of its healthcare information with another organization as discrete and normalized data) could yield annual savings of $77....

Author: Lopez, Barbara A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2010

Establishing a clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program is an organization-wide, transformational process that affects a hospital’s culture, reaching across all disciplines and touching every colleague and the way they perform their jobs. Many factors can lead healthcare organizations....

Author: Rollins, Genna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2010

Facilities are turning to coding automation to help manage the volume of electronic documentation, streamlining workflow, boosting productivity, and increasing job satisfaction. As EHR adoption increases, computer-assisted coding may become a necessity, not an option.

The phrase "com....