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: McSteen, Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

The 2013 HIPAA Omnibus Rule marks a key milestone for implementation of the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). One of the most far-reaching impacts of HITECH and the Omnibus Rule is that business associates (BA) and their subcontractors now mu....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

Would you want to have a $250,000 physical? Of course not. But entrepreneur and futurist Michael Vassar is betting that some people will.


Vassar was featured in a recent New York magazine article where he described his new venture, MetaMed, which seeks to use data analysis t....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

The past two decades have seen tremendous change in health information management (HIM) practice. The underlying drivers of this transformation are the complexity of healthcare delivery, the exploding demand for actionable information, pressure for greater public accountability, and the ev....

Author: Cinquegrani, Kelly

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

In order to take full advantage of health information technology, data, and analysis, an organization needs a standardization of protocols and its health IT systems must be built to support specific processes. FirstLight Health System (FLHS) has learned this first-hand over the last severa....

Author: Rihanek, Theresa

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2013

Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of 10 articles discussing the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS.


In the Journal of AHIMA's continuing Coding Notes series focusing on the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS, this article will focus on the definitions of four root ope....

Author: Kennedy, Angela

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

The demands of the complex and ever-growing technology-based healthcare industry have created a sense of economic urgency. The competitive environment is driving organizations toward stronger accountability and a culture of high performance. The healthcare industry is shifting from volume-....

Author: Bonney, Steven

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

For years, US healthcare facilities' electronic health record (EHR) systems have been collecting and storing exabytes of patient information. A tremendous amount of structured data is being created and given to HIM professionals, and a great deal of action is expected from them.

....

Author: Johnston, Gloria

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2013

Although the process of dual coding—assigning both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS codes at the time of coding—is one way to compare equivalence of the codes, it is too resource-intensive to be practical for every instance where both codes are needed. ICD data mapping can supplement....

Author: Taylor, Lisa Brooks

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

With the establishment of the National Quality Forum's National Quality Strategy, which sets the direction for achieving better, affordable care and healthier people and communities, providers, payers, and patients are seeing a shift in payment methodologies from volume-based to value-base....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 2013

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


The HIM Problem


Starting in September 2013, a new HITECH-HIPAA requirement will allow patients to enact a “request for restriction....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Amelia Earhart made headlines as the first woman passenger on a transatlantic flight. Herbert Hoover was elected president. And ordinary peoples’ lives would be changed by the discovery of penicillin and the sale of the first pre-sliced loaf of bread.


That was the scene....

Author: Manger, Barbara J.; Kirk, Kathleen M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Educators are facing challenging times in placing students in professional practice experience sites (PPE). These challenges are brought on by changes in the health industry work settings and demands, as well as the change in student demographics and personal commitments. Faculty in the he....

Author: Brodnik, Melanie S.; Valerius, Joanne D; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

The push toward graduate education in health information management (HIM) is becoming a reality as more universities and colleges develop or explore launching HIM and informatics graduate curricula. Fundamental to offering these programs is the need for doctorally prepared HIM-credentialed....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

It was a warm day, Grace Whiting Myers remembered. The windows of the meeting room were open and a fire truck on the street below momentarily disrupted the proceedings. That’s how AHIMA’s first president recalled the birth of what would one day become AHIMA in October 1928.

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Health information where and when it’s needed-it’s a simple, visionary idea. But achieving this goal will take big changes in the way healthcare is managed and delivered. In fact, this is a “big audacious goal (BAG),” and one that AHIMA is now working to shepherd into re....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Editor’s note: This update replaces the 2007 practice brief “Guidelines for EHR Documentation to Prevent Fraud.”


Electronic documentation tools offer many features that are designed to increase both the quality and the utility of clinical documentation, enhancin....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of AHIMA’s President and Board Chair, Kathleen Frawley, JD, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA. Kathleen first became a member of AHIMA in 1972, and in over 40 years of service worked in various roles while striving to lead the HIM profession through....

Author: Jacob, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

When Sebrina Campbell started her health information management degree program at Saint Louis University, she knew she wanted to follow a non-traditional career path. To help her figure out her route, she turned to the HIM Career Map. The interactive online tool, available on the AHIMA-sp....

Author: Gordon, Leslie; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.; Mancilla, Desla

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

When a profession changes, its supporting education system must change with it. Faced with the fact that the HIM industry was evolving faster than its educational training programs, the AHIMA Foundation’s Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) and its partners in education took on....

Author: Cassidy, Bonnie S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

The unsustainable growth of health costs, the growing lack of access to healthcare, and increasing disparities in provided care have forced the US to change how healthcare is delivered. With multiple national initiatives facing the healthcare industry, it is a challenge for healthcare prof....

Author: Stoltz, Paul G

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

It’s the Big One. By all indicators the seismic shift currently upending the healthcare industry-electronic health records, health information exchange, healthcare reform, ICD-10-CM/PCS-scores a 8.0-plus on the Richter scale. Make no mistake, the entire career landscape will be forev....

Author: Desai, Anna

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Whether planning a summer vacation or the direction of a new business, one must consider the larger external environment. Consider a trip to the grocery store. You’d like to get this done as quickly as possible. You run into some traffic. There’s been an accident on the road you usually take t....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: August 01, 2013

Tune in to this monthly online coding column to learn from AHIMA’s coding experts about challenging areas and documentation opportunities for ICD-10-CM/PCS.





Coding supervisors are worried about predicted productivity losses in the transition to ICD-10-CM/P....

Author: Rhodes, Harry B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: August 2013

A recent federal study of the potential unintended consequences of electronic health information exchange revealed several characteristics that, if not addressed soon, could lead to data and privacy issues.


The construct that health IT undertakings can hav....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Information quality, better access to health information, and greater information exchange are in store for eligible providers, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals expecting to attest to stage 2 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) “meaningful....

Author: Chtourou, Helen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

A key focus of clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs is to identify deficiencies in clinical documentation and develop methods to ensure the complete and accurate capture of a patient’s clinical encounter. Healthcare records that are inaccurate or incomplete will compromi....

Author: Person, Carol; Terlep, Minnette

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Facing a diminished role, transcriptionists at Sanford Health worked with the organization to move into open, and in-demand, coding roles



The need for transcription was diminishing at Sanford Health, and transcriptionists needed to make a choice-transition into another....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Collaboration is a word that’s used-and overused-so much lately, it’s hard to remember what it really means.


But it’s a word that occurred to me as I read the best-selling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.


The....

Author: Towers, Adele L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

The following is likely not a surprise to those clinical documentation improvement specialists (CDS) working day in and day out improving physician documentation. But for the record-clinical documentation improvement (CDI) is not taught in medical school. The truth is that most physicians....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Staff up or suffer. That is one message HIM professionals are hearing regarding the upcoming ICD-10-CM/PCS transition. Clinical documentation specialists will be needed to ensure clinicians adequately document provided care that validates the new, more detailed ICD-10 codes. Coders with ICD-10....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

Clinical documentation requirements are expected to increase as healthcare systems are challenged with complex new audits, ever-changing compliance rules, and a transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS. All of these initiatives will specifically challenge clinical documentation improvement (CDI) profes....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle; Seabold, Sandra; White, Susan E

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

As the healthcare industry begins to move toward new care delivery and payment models, the importance of high quality data to support decision-making, modeling, and quality reporting has become integral to emerging systems. Diagnostic data has always been key for clinical, billing, and rep....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

The spring season in 2013 saw continued developments on Capitol Hill concerning issues of interest to the health information management profession, including support for ICD-10-CM/PCS, better regulation of the RAC Audit program, and a renewed effort to move forward patient identifiers.
N....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

A strong clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program begins with the proper recruitment, careful selection, and adequate orientation of CDI specialists. The purpose of a CDI program is to initiate concurrent and retrospective reviews of health records for conflicting, incomplete, or nonspe....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2013

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of 10 articles discussing the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS.


The transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS on October 1, 2014 is much more than just the customary annual update of codes. The ICD-10-CM code set is very similar in struc....

Author: Frawley, Kathleen A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

The 17th General Assembly and World Congress of the Information Federation of Health Information Management Associations (IFHIMA) was held May 12-15 in Montreal, Canada. There were over 500 attendees representing over 30 countries. Before the conference officially started, an all-day sessi....

Author: Bielby, Judy A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

The demand for trustworthy data has never been more apparent than it is today, and the coding process plays a critical role in meeting the need for complete, accurate, and reliable healthcare data. Accurate and compliant coding of ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS Level II de....

Author: Crawford, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2013

HIM professionals have been looking for some truth and straight talk on computer-assisted coding (CAC). The technology has been billed as everything from the savior of coding-based bottom lines due to ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) to the automated destroyer of human coding jobs. As the technology....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2013

With the oncoming swell of ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) and computer-assisted coding (CAC), coders may be wondering what the future holds for their career. Some worry that the transition to ICD-10 will be very challenging for long-term coders who have been using ICD-9-CM for several decades. The....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 01, 2013

There’s a tremendous amount of buzz in the healthcare industry about preparing hospitals and physicians for ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) implementation. But what should other care settings—such as long term care, home health, and hospice—be doing to prepare?



Identifying S....

Author: Sheehan, Martina

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 01, 2013

While many healthcare coders are already training arduously to master the new ICD-10-CM/PCS code set, some experts predict other sectors of healthcare may find themselves unprepared and in a pinch when the new system replaces ICD-9-CM on October 1 of next year. Who in t....

Author: Chung, Rick; Palatnik, Matthew

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 2013

Editor’s note: This post is the second in a two-part article installment. The first installment of the article was posted Saturday, June 1.



Although integration and use of laboratory data in EHRs clearly has benefits, it also poses unique legal challenges. Provider....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra had a saying: “It ain’t over, ‘til it’s over.” These words reach beyond the walls of the baseball diamond and relate to the current state of policy a....

Author: Scott, Karen S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2013

As the healthcare industry prepares for the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS, many tools have been developed to assist in mitigating anticipated coding productivity losses. Computer-assisted coding (CAC) is an important tool that healthcare organizations can leverage to help counteract projecte....

Author: Bowman, Sue E; Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

International classification systems, like ICD, are analogous to a river with local tributaries connecting to a global network of waterways, intersecting other classifications and terminologies to carry standardized health information around the world. With that in mind, it is clear how th....

Author: Averill, Richard F.; Butler, Rhonda R.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 2013

There has been an array of misperceptions, misinformation, and misrepresentations concerning ICD-10-CM/PCS—making it hard to discern the true facts. Due to the increased concerns, bills have been introduced in Congress to postpone or entirely abandon the conversion to ICD-10. In....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

The clock is ticking, and in only 16 months the healthcare industry will begin to use, process, and exchange ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) codes. Readiness varies throughout the industry, with some stuttering after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services delayed the ICD-10 implementation d....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

The majority of US hospitals are still assembling their ICD-10-CM/PCS preparation efforts, with larger facilities faring better than smaller providers, according to a recent survey conducted by vendor TrustHCS and AHIMA (see "ICD-10-CM/PCS Status Check", Journal of AHIMA 84 (6):38-40).

Author: Jahn, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

As providers and payers grapple with the complexities of ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10), many are formally collaborating with one another to learn best practices and accelerate ICD-10 implementation.


Across the country, many different types and sizes of ICD-10 collaboratives have fo....

Author: Frawley, Kathleen A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

October 1, 2014 is only 16 months away as the healthcare industry and HIM professionals prepare to transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS. While many providers, payers, and vendors were gearing up for the original October 2013 date, the one-year delay issued in 2012 gave the industry time to continue....

Author: Clark, Jill S

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

During her speech at the 2013 HIMSS Annual Conference, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said the healthcare industry should proceed full steam ahead on preparing to implement ICD-10-CM/PCS. The message conveyed is that CMS is 100 p....

Author: Barnhouse, Torrey; Rudman, William J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Those who think their hospital is way behind in preparing for ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) should take note of the following. Several industry surveys reveal the same thing: most of the nation’s 4,000-plus hospitals have only just begun implementation efforts.


That concernin....

Author: McDermott, Shelley; Coplan-Gould, Wendy

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) impacts every aspect of a healthcare provider’s organization. It is a universally recognized enterprise-wide initiative with multiple stakeholders, but is still competing with other high profile projects for IT resources and budget dollars. Virtually every hosp....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Taylor, Lisa Brooks

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

As involved members of the healthcare industry, health information management (HIM) professionals can envision a future state of healthcare that is effective, safe, accessible and affordable. The National Quality Strategy (NQS), developed through the National Quality Forum (NQF), presents....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Where were you in the late 1990s? Maybe you were watching “Seinfeld.” Maybe you were doing online stock trading with “irrational exuberance.” And maybe you were looking into “the Year 2000 problem” or what simply became known as “Y2K.”

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2013

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of 10 articles discussing the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS.

The implementation of ICD-10-PCS will challenge the skills of coders-it contains many unique features and provides an opportunity to truly reflect the complexity of....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Health information exchange (HIE) continues to evolve and change, thanks in part to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), which has been encouraging new ways of exchanging and sharing health information that foster trust, drive efficiencies, and ultimately place the i....

Author: Chung, Rick; Palatnik, Matthew

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 2013

Editor’s note: This post is the first in a two-part article installment. The conclusion of the article will be posted Monday, June 3.



In January 2009 President Barack Obama spoke on the need for action on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. “To impro....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 01, 2013

Let’s be honest, there is a lot of angst amongst the physician community concerning the transition to ICD-10. The October 1, 2014 date is quickly approaching and if your practice has not begun preparing for the change, now is the time to get busy! Here are some fun ways....

Author: Strauss, Jeff

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: May 15, 2013

Implementation of the new ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) codes has proved an enormous tactical and strategic effort for healthcare payers and providers alike. Many organizations are searching for a strategy that will allow them to implement the new codes with the least disrupti....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

This month's Journal of AHIMA takes a closer look at the importance of consumer engagement. HIM professionals have an obligation to the consumer to help maintain the integrity, security, and accessibility of health data and support the consumers' right to access their information in a secu....

Author: Taylor, Lisa Brooks

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

An engaged patient more effectively communicates with providers, participates in decision-making, manages their own care, and complies with healthcare regimens. "Ensuring that each person and family are engaged as partners in their care" is one of the priorities of the National Quality Str....

Author: McDavid, Jan P

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Business associates (BAs) of HIPAA-covered entities like hospitals and doctor's offices should already be intimately acquainted with HIPAA's privacy and security regulations. BAs should already have business associate agreements with every covered entity with whom they work and assume resp....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

A study comparing how physicians, Congressional members, and the media type and tweet about healthcare has shown significant differences-and the need for greater alignment-among "key influencers" on health issues facing the US population.

The online data analysis, conducted by WCG's M....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Metadata is the foundation on which information management systems are built. It is required to support the various uses of data, to manage the information and record lifecycle, to verify data integrity, authenticity, and reliability, and to evaluate the relative importance of data and informat....

Author: Barta, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2013

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of 10 articles discussing the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS.



One of the keys to understanding ICD-10-PCS is the many new definitions and descriptions used to describe the various components of performed procedures.....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

HIM professionals have a rich and proud history serving as custodians of the health record, with solid experience and knowledge in process, policy, and procedure surrounding the management and disclosure of health information. In the recent past, this information was confined to the inside....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Sometimes progress starts with a single step. Last summer, the AHIMA staff participated in an intra-company walking challenge. Volunteer participants signed up to wear a pedometer and track how many steps they took. We tracked our totals weekly, and watched the steps and miles stack up. Af....

Author: Mitchell, Glenn

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Editor's note: This article is the second of a two-part series discussing how to synergize an ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation with other healthcare projects and requirements. The first part, "Synergizing ICD-10," was published in March 2013.



Once an organization ident....

Author: Frawley, Kathleen A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

At the HIMSS 2013 conference, former US President Wililam J. Clinton spoke about the current state of the healthcare industry. In one of my favorite quotes from his talk, Clinton said, "The beginning of empowerment is understanding." In order for patients to take charge of their health, th....

Author: Crawford, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

"Open Notes" Project Gives Patients Simple, Affordable, and Resoundingly Effective Access to Clinician Notes



Exactly who owns a patient's health record-answer, the patient-was once an unknown to many patients and non-HIM staff in healthcare. While HIM professionals have....

Author: Reno, Danielle; Kersten, Sandra K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Information governance is becoming a priority for healthcare organizations. Today's healthcare organizations invest in information technology at unprecedented rates, and IT generates more data than ever before. Stakeholders expect healthcare organizations to use health IT to bring improvem....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

When Deborah Kohn recently logged onto her healthcare provider's patient portal to view her X-ray reports, she immediately knew something wasn't quite right. She'd undergone one X-ray of her left hand and another of her right hand. The problem?


Both X-ray reports were identi....

Author: Aschettino, Lucia; Birnbaum, Cassi L; Crocker, Janice; Grebner, Leah A.; McNicholas, Faith C.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Health information management (HIM) best practices state that it is important for HIM professionals to focus not just on the information but also on internal and external customers. Customers have varied, and ever-changing, needs that must be met by HIM professionals. Both internal and ext....

Author: Huey, Kim

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2013

Though it may seem contrary to popular opinion, electronic health record (EHR) products will make providers' coders more necessary and valuable than ever. Physicians who trust only EHR and computer-assisted coding software to choose the codes they bill, without any training or oversight, a....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: May 01, 2013

In February 2013, the practice brief on “Guidance on a Compliant Query” was published in the Journal of AHIMA. The intent of this practice brief is to maintain the integrity of the coded healthcare data. The purpose of the query process outlined is to ensure appropriate....

Author: Kirkpatrick, Joseph

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 17, 2013

It seems that everyone wants to know about Britain’s royal family. The media are obsessed with the most mundane private details from their lives because that information is marketable to the public. While the relentless pursuit of their private information is excep....

Author: McMillan, Mac

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 12, 2013

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has ushered in a new era in healthcare that has transformed the way information is managed and used to deliver care. While we often say we still have a long way to go before achieving compliance with HIPAA,....

Author: Hofman, Judi

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Due to new HIPAA rules, HIM must strike an appropriate privacy balance when releasing decedent records

Author: Galterio, Louis

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Anyone unfamiliar with quality measurement and reporting might find the journey of self-education daunting. There are numerous organizations that develop, use, and require sets or collections of measures for reporting, and many address different measurement goals. There are varying areas o....

Author: Solove, Daniel J

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Ten years ago after countless years of germination and many twists and turns, the HIPAA Privacy Rule finally became effective. It would soon be followed by the HIPAA Security Rule-which was published in 2003 and became effective in 2005-and eventually by the HIPAA Enforcement Rule and the....

Author: Taylor, Lisa Brooks

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Each year the AHIMA national convention ends with an inspirational speaker. In 2012, in a personal and well-received chat, comedian Joy Behar shared in her emblematic, witty, and straight forward style a three-step life motto that led to her success:


Show up

Warm....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

THIS YEAR MARKS the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.


As I write, the industry is currently deciphering the implications of a new law-the changes to the rule wrought by the Health Informati....

Author: Frawley, Kathleen A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

AHIMA celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. Many current healthcare associations were founded after the Joint Commission was founded in 1951. AHIMA, however, was founded in 1928 when 35 members of the Club of Record Clerks met at the Hospital Standardization Conference sponsored by th....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has published the long-awaited final omnibus rules covering many HITECH Act requirements in the January 25, 2013 Federal Register (78FR5566). The rule is officially titled “Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notific....

Author: Scott, Karen S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2013

ICD-10-PCS will bring about many changes and challenges for coding professionals. It is important for those involved in coding to start preparing today for the many unique features of the coding system. One of the keys to understanding ICD-10-PCS is the many new definitions and description....

Author: Lardiere, Michael R

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Sharing behavioral health and physical health information is a growing concern for the US healthcare system. Sharing the history and status of patients’ symptoms and progress-or lack of progress-between and among physical health and behavioral health providers is essential for assist....

Author: White, Susan E

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

One of the newest buzz words in data analytics is “Big Data,” and the data created through the healthcare industry is some of the “biggest” around. The widespread implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and the need to share data to measure quality and ma....

Author: Warner, Diana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

The HITECH Act’s omnibus HIPAA modification final rule, released January 25, 2013, finalized sweeping changes to privacy and security regulations. Though much of the proposed rule was adopted, the omnibus rule included major changes made to the “harm threshold” standard i....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

Healthcare claims auditors have inundated release of information staff and vendors this year with record requests, in part due to the aggressive Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) initiative. RACs review provider bills and medical records to....

Author: Sheide, Amy; Wilson, Patricia S

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2013

What do coders need to know about Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC)? A health records coder is unlikely to come across a LOINC code when looking for the correct ICD-9-CM code to reflect the documentation provided. A compliance officer may not see a LOINC code when eva....

Author: Solove, Daniel J

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

How HIPAA has performed overall as a privacy law is open to interpretation, but most agree it has had a wide-reaching impact on the healthcare industry. In comparison to the dozens of federal privacy laws for various industries, HIPAA is one of the most comprehensive and detailed. 

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an “occupational medical record” as an occupation-related, chronological, cumulative record, regardless of the form or process by which it is maintained (i.e., paper document, microfiche, microfilm, or automatic data processing me....

Author: Bowen, Rita K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2013

The HIPAA Omnibus Rule, the new Final Rule modifying HIPAA, was published in the Federal Register on January 25, 2013. The amended rule went into effect on March 26 and full compliance is expected by September 23. For HIM professionals, the most far-reaching of the changes to HIPAA is that....

Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2013

The term “standard” has a number of definitions in health information management. The healthcare media groups frequently include this word in tandem with other familiar buzz words, including interoperability, standardization, standards development organizations, harmonization, “meaningful....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2013

Patients retain the right to keep their medical records private even after death. The laws surrounding just who has a legal right to view those records can lead to confusing and frustrating situations.


But new rules implemented through the HITECH Act’s HIPAA moficiation final....

Author: Perlman, Marc

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 2013

Information is the future of healthcare, and the industry is developing an almost unquenchable thirst for it. The good news is that healthcare organizations are amassing data at an unprecedented pace. Rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in the wake o....

Author: Frawley, Kathleen A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2013

The health information management (HIM) profession will continue to see constant and increasing change in 2013. While HIM professionals continue to work to define and evolve their roles and career pathways, AHIMA has been working on the best ways to support and lead the change. As part of....