Author: Meyer, Melanie

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 19, 2017

Healthcare organizations are increasingly focused on managing patient populations to improve outcomes while reducing costs. Here are short profiles of how some health information exchanges (HIEs) are using data to support population health efforts.

Managing Populations

Author: Ward, Maria

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 13, 2017

A few weeks ago, an article came to me from a co-worker about World Leprosy Day, which is the last Sunday of January each year. I was under the naïve impression that leprosy had been, for the most part, eradicated. I had no idea the extent to which leprosy still existed, much less tha....

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: Fahy, Kristi

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Many healthcare organizations that implement an information governance (IG) program have difficulties deciding which projects to prioritize first. Often, organizations will target the “low hanging fruit” projects, such as establishing an IG committee or advisory group or the pr....

Author: Bowman, Sue E

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

For 2017, there are new CPT category III codes describing procedures involving cardiac contractility modulation systems and implantable counterpulsation ventricular assistance devices. These emerging technologies are currently undergoing clinical trials. These codes are scheduled to sunset....

Author: Reed, Andretta

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

This article highlights pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) code selections and proper sequencing based on healthcare provider documentation, ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and ICD-10-CM conventions. As additional coding guidance continues to....

Author: Burton, Ben; Downing, Katherine

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief update supplants part of the 2013 Practice Brief “Patient Access and Amendment to Health Records.”


Before April 2003, a patient’s legal right to amend his or her health records was limited to those patients treated at hea....

Author: Backman, Cecilia; Meyer, Melanie; Westhafer, Kathy J; Wise, Lee A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and value-based programs have created opportunities for population health initiatives in relation to health information exchange (HIE) and greater data sharing across the care continuum. HIE allows providers and patients to securely access and share a patient&....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the new “External HIPAA Audit Readiness Toolkit” developed by AHIMA. The full toolkit is free for AHIMA members.


THE HITECH OMNIBUS Rule mandated that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) condu....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, let’s call him Dr. Hollywood, has a thriving business—an impeccable office, gracious and welcoming staff, and top of the line equipment and devices. His clientele is primarily celebrities and other wealthy socialites who can afford to pay out of....

Author: Primeau, Debra

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Smaller healthcare facilities typically lack the resources and expertise to address the constant flow of competing priorities, forcing leadership to wear many hats in a fragmented environment. Few have a designated privacy, security, or compliance officer, let alone the corporate support s....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

In 1941, author Edna Huffman, writing about the management and storage of medical records, introduced readers to “the newest development in storage methods and the method that will conserve the greatest amount of space, known as microphotography.” She described how medical reco....

Author: Arvin, Marti

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

One might ask why a privacy officer even needs to worry about defending against a cyberattack—isn’t that the role of the chief information security officer and the chief information officer? The answer is no. Cyberattacks are not always about technology. The privacy officer is not generall....

Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

For the past several years, seismologists have been warning that California is overdue for “The Big One”—an earthquake with a Richter scale Level 8 or greater magnitude in densely populated parts of the state.1 In anticipation of this sort of event or other natural disaster, l....

Author: Chenoweth, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Many influential thought leaders have come to realize there are three foundational elements to getting your ideas understood and appreciated: social proof, which gives people a reason to listen to you; content creation, which allows them to evaluate the quality of your ideas; and your netw....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 01, 2017

Your hospital receives a release of information request from an attorney. What exactly can you charge to produce the record, and do fee limitations described in HIPAA apply? These limitations prohibit covered entities from charging patients anything but a reasonable cost-based fee that inc....

Author: Palkie, Brooke

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 16, 2017

As I begin digging into the intricacies of long-term digital preservation (LTDP) of electronic healthcare data, I am realizing how little I knew. The ever-changing formats and standards for accessing personal health information (PHI) come to mind. Once obsolete, how will this information b....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Pruente, Megan

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 16, 2017

The LGBT patient population have identification and documentation needs that are not being addressed in today’s mainstream healthcare workflows. Capturing sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) is a relatively new concept and the need for this standardized, private, and secure....

Author: Crow, Lisa

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 08, 2017

Monthly bills. Monthly lunch meetings. Monthly delinquent medical record report. So many tasks occur once a month. But monthly external coding audits? Isn’t once a year enough? No, says healthcare provider organizations.


Butler Memorial Hospital in Butler, PA, and dozen....

Author: Chenoweth, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

Two years ago, I travelled to central Honduras to volunteer my time and HIM expertise at a clinic that supports the primary care needs of 90,000 people. It was an experience I’ll never forget. Access to specialists is few and far between so the clinic had recently implemented telemedicine....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

As an independent contractor and data analytics subject matter expert (SME), Lisa Brooks Taylor, RHIA, spends most of her time working with professional associations and large insurers developing machine-computable algorithms to analyze healthcare data. She works closely with data scientis....

Author: Marron-Stearns, Michael

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is widely viewed as one of the most significant and complex changes to Part B Medicare reimbursement in several decades. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Quality Payment Program (QPP) that incl....

Author: Huey, Kim

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

The 2017 update to the CPT code set brings fewer new codes than in previous years but more guideline changes and clarifications, as well as revisions in code description. One Appendix is deleted and a new one is created. There are a total of 149 new CPT codes, 498 revised codes, and 81 del....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

The old proverb “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” rings true for consumers and the release of their health information. With laws like HIPAA and the advent of patient portals, it has never been easier for consu....

Author: Meehan, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

The term “Big Data” is everywhere, but what is it and what do health information management (HIM) professionals need to know about it? Understanding Big Data in healthcare, ensuring its accuracy, and harnessing it for patient care and business decisions are critical to a succes....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

According to the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), from January 2016 to November 2016 approximately 169,013,996 people were affected by 1,737 healthcare breaches. The Ponemon Institute estimates that data breaches could cost the healthcare industry as m....

Author: Lusk, Katherine; Manahan, Jennifer

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

THERE ARE SEVEN billion people in the world, with more than three billion using the Internet. And of the North American population of 565 million, 320 million are using the Internet. There are also 6.8 billion cellphone subscriptions across the world, with two-thirds of Americans owning a....

Author: Alakrawi, Zahraa M; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.; Nemchik, Scot; Sheridan, Patty Thierry

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

To quantify the impact of ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) on coding productivity, Ciox Health, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Health Information Management, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, conducted a previous study published in the August 2016....

Author: Meehan, Ann M.; James, Jaime; Laufenberg, Mary Jo

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

In the quest to either start an information governance (IG) program or to move an existing program along a progressive path of maturity, having a formalized IG structure in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals is key to the success of the program. These competencies will enabl....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

For many years, AHIMA has been advancing a potential role for HIM professionals as facilitators for consumers and their health information. Electronic health records, mobile apps, and patient portals all impact the consumer experience.


As an industry, we have made progress&md....

Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

Crumbling, decaying, and abandoned hospitals aren’t just physically dangerous examples of urban decrepitude—they also could be prime targets for medical identity thieves who know what they’re doing.


Take the case of Chicago, IL’s Edgewater Medical Center, a....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

One of the Healthy People 2020 objectives from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion is to improve the health, safety, and well-being of individuals in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population.1 This population faces health disparities with barriers to healt....

Author: Meehan, Ann M.

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 01, 2017

HIMSS17 took place February 19-23 in Orlando, Florida. Thousands made the journey for the event this year, where topics included payment reform, interoperability, analytics, and informatics. Speakers from AHIMA discussed the importance of ensuring trustworthy information via a formali....

Author: Dimick, Chris; Sheber, Sarah

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 01, 2017

Editor’s Note: This post was updated on March 1, 2017 to reflect changes in laws and regulations that have taken place since this content was originally posted on March 1, for.


If you’ve never requested your medical records from your doctor or hospital before, the....

Author: Downing, Kathy

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 23, 2017

With information governance (IG) emerging and gaining momentum in healthcare organizations, many questions arise. What are the goals of information governance? Why have some organizations decided they need formal information governance? How do healthcare organizations expect to benefi....

Author: Meehan, Ann M.

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 16, 2017

February is IG Month at AHIMA.  Whether your organization has an information governance (IG) program in place, underway in implementation, or yet to be fully conceived, health information management (HIM) professionals play a vital role in IG program success.  HIM profession....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 16, 2017

In the companion post to this article, “One is the Loneliest Number (Part 1 of 2),” we focused on important healthcare statistics to know as we prepare for 2017. Here in Part 2, we discover that the following lyrics in Three Dog Night’s song “One” can also be....

Author: Rockendorf, Betty

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 09, 2017

Regarded as a landmark bill, the 21st Century Cures Act was passed into law in December of 2016. It’s aims are lofty and it covers a lot of ground, including transparency, breaking down silos in healthcare, interoperability, and an electronic health record (EHR) reporting program, as....

Author: Gibbs, Sally

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

How does a healthcare system with 24 hospitals, 40 physician offices, and 50 free-standing ambulatory surgery centers that spans from the entire state of California to just over the Oregon border continue to keep their coding and billing staff current with the latest coding guidelines and....

Author: Chenoweth, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

Whew! Another holiday season is behind us and a new year is underway. My biggest takeaway from my holiday shopping excursions was the vast number of healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) wearables and sensors on the shelves. Just a few years ago, counting steps with wireless accelerometers w....

Author: Lemery, Chrisann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

The AHIMA House of Delegates (House) is tasked with governing the health information management (HIM) profession as identified in the AHIMA bylaws. The delegates are 231 members from the 52 component state associations (CSAs) and the AHIMA Board of Directors. With the focus having been on....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

As I write this column, a new federal administration is taking shape in Washington, DC, and its future impact on healthcare regulation is unclear. In uncertain times, it’s helpful to remember a bright spot: We are beginning to get a grip on the importance of data.


For....

Author: Downing, Kathy; Fahy, Kristi; Foster, MeShawn; Hermann, Michelle; Meehan, Ann M.; Washington, Lydia; Woebkenberg, Jami

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

When an organization begins to implement an enterprise information governance (IG) program, one of the major initial tasks is to understand the scope and types of information in its possession. An inventory of an organization’s information is necessary in order to facilitate decision maki....

Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

None of the incredible advances in medical technology or pharmacology are any good if they’re inaccessible to people who need them the most. But that’s exactly what’s happening in rural Appalachia, especially in southwestern Virginia’s economically depressed coal counties, where large swaths of....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

Between 2015 and 2016, information governance (IG) went from being an esoteric concept to a new way of life for some healthcare professionals. In 2015, AHIMA recruited 11 healthcare organizations, including vendors, hospitals, physician practices, and regional health information organizat....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

Anxiety—it’s the emotion that looms over most patient financial services (PFS) directors and those working in health information management (HIM) when they discover that their organization’s claims are subject to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Recovery....

Author: Comfort, Angie

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

As last year drew to a close, facilities began the looming task of reviewing the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule to ensure their chargemaster and systems were up-to-date with the 2017 changes. The final rule for calendar year (CY) 2017 was released on Novem....

Author: Houser, Shannon H.; Meadows, Jean M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

There are a number of recent factors driving changes to how healthcare quality is being measured. First, there’s the rapid adoption of healthcare information technology (HIT) due to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “meaningful use” Electronic Health Re....

Author: Downing, Katherine; Taylor, Christine

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

Getting started with information governance (IG) requires research, documentation, and understanding what information and applications need to be included in the IG program. There are times when students can be used to help with this IG preparation, an act that benefits the healthcare faci....

Author: Chou, Edgar; Montroy, Tami

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

In most healthcare settings, health information management (HIM) initiatives are led by HIM professionals with collaboration from other organizational leaders. At Drexel University College of Medicine, it is no different. Representatives with expertise in risk management, privacy, complian....

Author: Nelson, Kristin

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

A unique job role has been created at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) related to onboarding, training, and student preceptorship that is seeing positive results and working to get past the Catch 22 of employment—you need experience to get a job, but you need a job....

Author: Downing, Katherine

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

Healthcare organizations are under constant attack from cybercriminals due to the richness of information they collect, store, and disseminate that can also be used for multiple types of fraud and identity theft. Stolen credit card information only lasts until the victim cancels the card,....

Author: Sheber, Sarah

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 01, 2017

From local opportunities to national groups, volunteering is a way for health information management (HIM) professionals to engage with their community and work to advance the profession. With opportunities suited to any professional level, from a student getting ready to enter the work fo....

Author: Dunagan, Betty

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 19, 2017

We have arrived in the era of Big Data in healthcare, where digital transformation is a major driving factor. A variety of healthcare settings are currently using their electronic health record (EHR) systems to their full capacity, using databases that are just as large as their onsit....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 18, 2017

Harry Nilsson said it best when he penned these lyrics for Three Dog Night’s 1969 hit song “One”:



“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do”



Healthcare organizations and providers continue to face increased ch....

Author: Osi, Indra

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 17, 2017

Recently, there has been discussion regarding the appropriate code to use when describing the aftercare that is performed when a fracture has been repaired with a joint replacement. The issue raised concerns whether the fracture would be considered a condition that no longer exists (s....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Long before the Zika virus or Ebola outbreaks became a threat in the United States, public health has been an international endeavor. According to some estimates, the Spanish flu—which peaked between 1918 and 1920—killed more than half a million Americans and 50 million people worldwide i....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn; Easterling, Sharon; Huey, Kim

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

In the current era of healthcare transformation, the continuing importance of documentation and coding cannot be overstated. With the multitude of acronyms being added to the healthcare vocabulary, one may wonder where documentation and coding fits in. It’s important to remember that....

Author: Perez, Ken

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

“Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs. It’s about deliberately choosing to be different,” says Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert on economics and business strategy.1


That advice certainly applies to the rising number of a....

Author: Marting, Richelle; DeMasters, Dana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Despite its codification under the administrative simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), those responsible for compliance often agree HIPAA is anything but administratively simple. Even the plethora of resources offering HIPAA guidance....

Author: Clack, Crystal; Freeman, Rae; Lewis, Laquette

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

A cyclone of regulatory requirements for providers has officially touched down in the United States. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), patient-centered medical home (PCMH), and value-based purchasing (VBP) initiatives are contributing to dramat....

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: Land, Daniel

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

A robust knowledge of anatomy and cardiac surgery techniques, a comprehensive understanding of coding guidelines, and an eye for precision are key components of correct ICD-10-PCS cardiac coding.


This article will review ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reportin....

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: Washington, Lydia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

If we step back to consider why a healthcare organization would find it beneficial to adopt information governance (IG), there is no more compelling reason than that it is one of the best ways to successfully drive organizational strategy. It is impossible to successfully execute the organ....

Author: Feldman, Sue; Houser, Shannon H.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Editor’s Note: This article is the first installment of the new Working Smart department titled “Illuminating Informatics.” This department will explore all aspects of informatics and provide guidance to health information management professionals in the practical applica....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

HIM professionals are great planners. We love a well-defined process, a policy, a workflow. These are useful tools and they help us in the routines of daily work. When we’re planning our association’s direction, the big picture strategy is no less important. Accordingly, AHIMA....

Author: Rhodes, Harry B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

Research dating back to the 1970s has verified the dominant influence of social, economic, and environmental determinates in the maintenance of health and well-being. Working from a set of values that focus on overall health, quality of life, and well-being, population health management en....

Author: Chenoweth, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

I’ve always loved January! It is not only the freshly fallen snow and warm drinks by the fire that I cherish, it is the exhilaration that every new year brings with it the optimism that new beginnings are possible and the belief that our resolutions can create wonderful outcomes and suc....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 2017

While the healthcare industry plays “wait and see” with regard to what a Trump Administration means for the regulatory landscape of the last eight years, the events of this past year offer a few hints as to what we might expect in 2017.


Two major pieces of legislation passed....

Author: Robinson, Steven

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 29, 2016

Clinical documentation programs’ success is a result of the healthcare team keeping a constant vigil on communication while operationalizing outcomes and instilling provider support. Patient care is largely dependent on accurate communication among the healthcare provider team. In a....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 2016

When people ask Davi Trotti, MA, RHIA, what it was like to live onboard the hospital ship Africa Mercy, she tells them “During the week I live in Europe and on the weekends I live in Africa.”


That’s because for three years, Trotti was the only person with a health information....

Author: Monga, Kapila

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 22, 2016

The phrase “Longevity Revolution,” referring to the increase in human life expectancy by 30 years, isn’t new anymore. Various books have been written on this subject, and it is a widely discussed topic in conferences these days. It is a no-brainer that this increase in life expectancy warr....

Author: Monga, Kapila

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 22, 2016

The phrase “Longevity Revolution,” referring to the increase in human life expectancy by 30 years, isn’t new anymore. Various books have been written on this subject, and it is a widely discussed topic in conferences these days. It is a no-brainer that this increase in life expectancy warr....

Author: Downing, Kathy

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 15, 2016

Involving patients in the management of their health (patient engagement) encourages greater patient participation in care. It also increases the integrity of the health information stored by our health systems—patients will be the first to tell you if the information is incorrect. P....