4020 results.
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Reinvigorating Your CDI Program
Author: Geissler, Kristen; Dion, Joni
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: July 2015
Long gone are the days of “grab and go” coding, finding the CC/MCC to push reimbursement to the next level and then moving on to the next record. Today, in addition to reimbursement, clinical data drives quality initiatives, hospital and physician profiles, and medical necessit....
DRG Grouping and ICD-10-CM/PCS
Author: Foley, Margaret M.
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: July 2015
Prior to the October 1, 2015 implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS, every hospital must examine how the new code set will impact MS-DRG reimbursement. A recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) analysis indicates the overall effect of the transition to ICD-10 on hospital reimburs....
Preventing Healthcare's Top Four Documentation Disasters
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: July 2015
One of the most famous cases in medical history that led to regulation of the number of hours that resident physicians are allowed to work is also a case study in clinical documentation failures.
In 1984, a college student in New York, NY named Libby Zion was admitted to a....
Watson vs. Big Data
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....
Clinical Documentation Improvement in the Outpatient Setting
Author: Arrowood, Danita; Johnson, Laurie M.; Wieczorek, Michelle M.
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: July 2015
Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs have proven their worth with over a decade of success and continued role expansion in the inpatient setting. As the healthcare industry prepares for new initiatives such as value-based purchasing, electronic health records (EHRs), and ICD-1....
Linking the Right Info and the Right Person … at the Right Time
Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: July 2015
With its roots in DRGs, the prospective payment system, and value-based purchasing, clinical documentation improvement (CDI) can seem like a practical administrative task. The process of ensuring accurate clinical documentation is—like so many HIM functions—often done in the ba....
Building an HIM Program for the Federal Aviation Administration
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: July 2015
The HIM Problem: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) manages the autopsy records of hundreds of pilots killed in accidents every year, but until 2008, health information management (HIM) professionals weren’t leading the efforts.
The HIM Problem Solver: Christy Hileman....
Ditching Dual Coding: Time to Focus in on ICD-10
Author: Houlihan, Walter
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: July 2015
Forget about dual coding? With ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation still months away, that might sound impossible. But that’s the strategy the health information management department at Baystate Health has deployed when it comes to preparing for ICD-10 implementation.
Throughout 20....
Consensus-building, Project Plans Key to IG Implementation
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: June 2015
Healthcare isn’t the only industry embarking on an information governance (IG) journey—plenty of other industries and organizations are too—and getting started is one of the hardest steps along the way. But developing a project plan for IG should is a powerful first step if done....
It All Starts with Documentation
Author: Dooling, Julie A
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: June 17, 2015
In my April post “Quality Data Starts With Us” I discussed the importance of identifying patients correctly the first time. I think of this as Step #1 in capturing quality healthcare data for our patients.
Step #2 is in a race with Step #1, and which comes out ahe....
ESI Meets Court Order
Author: Hedges, Ron
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: June 11, 2015
I’ve written for AHIMA on various subjects, including preservation and spoliation of electronically stored information (ESI). This month, I want to ask you to think about both.
To start, consider this premise: The parties to a civil action agreed to an order “on D....
Transitioning to ICD-10 with a Multitude of Free Resources
Author: Endicott, Melanie
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: June 10, 2015
With just four months until the big implementation day, you are probably feeling one of two things… Relief that it’s finally here and you can begin putting into practice everything you’ve learned over the past 5-6 years of preparation, or panic because you still have much more to do to pre....
Injection and Infusion Coding Offers High Stakes: Outpatient Coders Must Play Their Cards Right
Author: Flewelling, Charles
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
With the consistently rising value of highly skilled outpatient coders, numerous HIM departments are moving to a staffing model that employs coding professionals who are well versed in coding both inpatient and outpatient encounters. Coders in the profession today should possess a mastery....
Voices from the ICD-10 Zeitgeist
Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
As it starts to appear likely that ICD-10-CM/PCS will finally be implemented this year, prominent advocates for the transition are striking a more optimistic tune in public statements. Overall, the ICD-10 zeitgeist has steadily swung toward an implementation date of October 1, 2015 after years....
Life After ICD-10: How the Healthcare World Will Change After ICD-10's Implementation
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Anyone who has bought a home has inevitably heard at some point along the way that “real estate is always a gamble.” That’s cold comfort for anyone who’s plunked down earnest money on a fixer upper. But smart buyers know that if they’ve done their research and invested in the right places....
Evolving Role of the Privacy and Security Officer
Author: Bowen, Rita K.
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Fifteen years ago, many individuals accepted the role of the privacy officer with a perception that it would be a role involving the education and training of individuals on HIPAA rules and regulations, developing policy, and responding to reported incidents. The security officer was focu....
Remediating ICD-10 Knowledge Loss: After Delays Push Back Implementation, How Unprepared Will Your Coders Be to Use the New Code Set?
Author: Black, Michelle A
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
If you don't use it, you lose it. This is true for much of what we learn in life, and it’s particularly true when it comes to ICD-10-CM/PCS. Although most organizations initiated ICD-10 coder training in 2013, many decided to cease training and dual coding practice after the second ICD-10....
How Deep Do You Dig into ICD-10-PCS Coding?
Author: Kostick, Karen M.; Sanvik, Gina
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
All coding professionals require the right clinical documentation at the right time in order to assign an accurate code. This article reviews just what that requirement entails for ICD-10-PCS coding.
ICD-10-PCS Scope of Work
On October 1, 2015, hospital inpatient pr....
Answering the Tough ICD-10 Questions: Coding Experts Offer Tips on How to Make it to October 1, 2015 and Beyond
Author: Hinkle-Azzara, Barbara; Carr, Kimberly J
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
At a US House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on February 11, lawmakers and stakeholders agreed that the implementation of the ICD-10-CM/PCS code sets should not be further delayed. Moreover, in March the House passed legislation that provides a permanent replacement to the Sustain....
Electronic Documentation Templates Support ICD-10-CM/PCS Implementation (2015 update)
Author: AHIMA Work Group
Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the October 2012 Practice Brief “Electronic Documentation Templates Support ICD-10-CM/PCS Implementation.”
Improving patient care continues to take center stage in the healthcare industry, as demonstrated by an increa....
Final Push to ICD-10 Implementation
Author: Birnbaum, Cassi L
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Chills run up and down my spine as I write this article, knowing how hard we have worked as a profession, association, and industry to get to this red letter date for ICD-10-CM/PCS.
Just before I wrote this column, I was on the edge of my seat along with the rest of indust....
Evaluating the Information Governance Principles for Healthcare: Compliance and Availability
Author: Datskovsky, Galina; Hedges, Ron; Empel, Sofia; Washington, Lydia
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of four articles that discuss the eight Information Governance Principles for Healthcare.
AHIMA’s new Information Governance Principles for Healthcare (IGPHC) provide a framework for healthcare organizations to leverage informati....
Ten Skills That Make a Great Leader
Author: Mancilla, Desla; Guyton-Ringbloom, Carolyn; Dougherty, Michelle
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Jobs in the health information management (HIM) profession are becoming increasingly advanced in the need for both technical expertise and leadership skills. This shift is particularly important to recognize as HIM professionals navigate new career opportunities and changes ahead. Strong l....
Privacy Holes in the 'Hidden Healthcare System': Students' PHI-laden Education Records that are Stored and Shared Electronically Don’t Have the Same Safeguards as most EHRs
Author: DuBravec, Daniel A; Daigle, Matt
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
With student safety and privacy an increasing parental concern, school administrators nationwide are sitting on a powder keg of potential backlash because of a gray area of student privacy protections that Julia Lear, senior advisor for the Center of Health and Health Care in Schools at G....
Achieving Health Information Systems Interoperability
Author: Orlova, Anna
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
With the growing adoption of health information technology (HIT), interoperability—or the sharing of data between systems—has become a topic that everybody in healthcare is talking about. Interoperability impacts every stakeholder in healthcare with each individual party involv....
Transparency is a Top Priority, Says New CMS Chief Data Officer
Author: AHIMA Advocacy and Policy Team
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
Niall Brennan, director of the Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics and the first chief data officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), recognizes the pivotal role that data and information should play in transforming healthcare.
Before Brennan took....
Paving the Final Steps to ICD-10
Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, the HIM industry was reeling from an unexpected delay to the implementation of ICD-10. The change was brought on at the last minute, slipped into legislation and passed within a couple of days. The result was a one-year delay of ICD....
Rules of the Road Differ for Inpatient and Outpatient Coding
Author: Quick, Tara; Hickman, Stephani
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: June 2015
As facilities approach the final laps in the race towards implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), they should heed the yellow caution flag warning of basic challenges with the vast differences between inpatient and....
Solving Unique ICD-10 Concerns for Physician Practice and Outpatient Coders: 7 Transition Tips
Author: Eramo, Lisa A
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: June 2015
Ask any coder about the ICD-10 transition, and he or she will likely tell you that it hasn’t been easy. Coders working in physician practices have had a tough time. Many of these coders have more responsibilities than their inpatient coder counterparts. Physician practice coders may even b....
Keeping Coding Skills Sharp and Spirits High During the ICD-10 Delay
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: May 2015
The HIM Problem
The legislative and regulatory delays for the go-live date for ICD-10-CM/PCS have left some hospitals and physician practices skittish about investing in training and education programs. While a “boy who cried wolf” syndrome exists in some corners of healthcare, fo....
Retention and Disposition Policies Could Soon Become Irrelevant
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: May 20, 2015
As the costs associated with data storage and storage infrastructure continue to shrink—thanks to innovations such as cloud computing—individuals who manage records for a living must accept a new reality: destroying information and setting retention schedules will soon b....
Potential Legal Consequences of Social Media
Author: Hedges, Ron
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: May 14, 2015
Social media is ubiquitous. Almost assuredly everyone reading this blog is employed by or a member of a healthcare organization that has a social media presence. That presence can be beneficial to you and your organization. However, that presence might be harmful. Let’s explore certain asp....
Tackling the ICD-10-PCS Approaches
Author: Endicott, Melanie
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: May 13, 2015
There are only seven approach values in ICD-10-PCS, so one would think that selecting the correct approach value would be simple, but it’s not! Let’s take a closer look at these seven approaches and then walk through some challenging cases.
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Connecting the Disparate: Middleware’s Role in Solving Healthcare’s EHR Interoperability Problems
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....
e-HIM Professionals Wanted: Steps to Land a Job and Build a Career in Today’s Modern HIM Job Market
Author: Keeton, Priscilla; Pierson, Patricia
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
The rapid evolution of health information management (HIM) has created enormous opportunity for those individuals who are up for the challenge and prepared for the work. With the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs) and supporting technologies, the roles of HIM specialists are un....
Workaday Informatics: How Healthcare is Applying Practical Informatics to Save Dollars and Lives
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Watch and learn. For clinical informaticist Nathan Patrick Taylor, MPH, MS, CHDA, and others like him, watching patient-physician encounters and learning from them is just as important as knowing how to query data in a health IT system. Because as technical as informatics can get, at its....
Scanning the HIM Environment: AHIMA’s 2015 Report Offers Insight on Emerging Industry Trends and Challenges
Author: Desai, Anna
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Today’s healthcare environment is driven by various economic and regulatory forces and technological advancements that bring both opportunities and challenges. Healthcare organizations need the right information at the right time to make accurate decisions regarding patient care and....
'We Are Ready!' ICD-10 Coalition Asks Congress to Avoid Another Implementation Delay
Author: AHIMA Advocacy and Policy Team
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
“We need it—and we are ready!” That was the main message from speakers who voiced support for making the ICD-10-CM/PCS transition at a briefing by the Coalition for ICD-10 in February.
The following are interviews with several speakers at the briefing on why....
Beware the Dark Side of the Web
Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Unless they know exactly what to look for, most Internet users wouldn’t know that a “Dark Web” exists or what it is—let alone the potential for harm that can be done with it.
But the dark side of the web is out there, and its proprietors want your medical information.
....
ICD-10 Gap Analysis Points to Revenue Neutral Transition
Author: Barta, Ann
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
The implications of ICD-10-CM/PCS for healthcare reimbursement is a topic at the top of everyone’s mind in the healthcare industry these days. As healthcare organizations continue to prepare for the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS on October 1, 2015, an essential and important element of a su....
National Correct Coding Initiative: A Valuable Resource in Outpatient Coding Compliance
Author: Drake, Suzanne P
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
The organizations health information management professionals serve are reliant on their understanding of outpatient coding and reporting conventions to ensure that the reimbursement received by facilities is accurate and not subject to improper payment audits.
The National....
Responding to Requests from Law Enforcement Officials for Release of PHI
Author: DeMasters, Dana
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
A police officer arrives in the emergency department of a hospital at 2 a.m. seeking information about a patient who was recently admitted following a motor vehicle accident. The officer suspects the patient was intoxicated while driving and assertively asks the nurse to tell him the resul....
Application of Search Analytics in the Healthcare Profession
Author: Regard, Dan; Hedges, Ron
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
As the healthcare industry moves into an electronic health record (EHR)-only environment, practitioners increasingly have to “search” electronically stored information (ESI). They may need to do this to find, for example, the date on which a patient was given a specific drug and the dosag....
Evolving Practice of Health Informatics
Author: Birnbaum, Cassi L
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
WHEN I DECIDED to pursue my graduate education in health information management (HIM) and informatics seven years ago, adoption rates for advanced electronic health record (EHR) systems were evolving, data was siloed, and interoperability was far from reality. Organizations were up to the....
Assessing and Improving EHR Data Quality (2015 update)
Author: AHIMA Work Group
Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the March 2007 [and March 2013] Practice Brief “Assessing and Improving EHR Data Quality.”
The United States-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported in 1999 that “at least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many a....
Standardization of Standards
Author: Orlova, Anna
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
In 1898 Yale University graduate Charles Dudley, PhD, looked for a solution to the seemingly intractable problem of building a consensus on standards for industrial materials used on the Pennsylvania Railroad. To sooth the antagonistic attitudes that marred relationships between the Penns....
Healthcare Moving Toward an 'Information Ecosystem'
Author: Kowalski, Christine
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Just as the world is held together and shaped by a delicate and intricate global ecosystem, the US healthcare system’s community of connected components, surviving and thriving when working together toward common goals, represents its own sort of ecosystem. As healthcare moves toward an i....
Informatics Poses Challenges, but Promises Rewards
Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
Informatics is one of the pillars of AHIMA’s strategy. And many people agree that it’s a critical part of the profession. But when we’re in the middle of doing our daily work, it’s easy to think of informatics as something that’s done by somebody else.
Data Analysis Starter Kit: How to Apply Informatics and Analyze ROI as an e-HIM Professional
Author: Dolezel, Diane
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: May 2015
The digital era of Big Data has generated a growing need for more electronic health information management (e-HIM) professionals who can assume the emerging role of data analyst.1 This new role requires learning how to analyze data and perform statistical calculations to support informed d....
Risk Management in EHR Implementation
Author: Wang, Tiankai; Moczygemba, Jackie
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: May 2015
Risk management is defined as “the act or practice of dealing with risk, which includes planning for risk, assessing, identifying and analyzing risk areas, developing risk-handling options, monitoring risks to determine how risks have changed, and documenting the overall risk managem....
Why an Informatics Degree Matters
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 2015
The HIM Problem
As HIM becomes increasingly data-centric, knowledge of informatics is becoming an essential tool.
Today, it’s hard to identify even one aspect of health information management (HIM) as a profession that isn’t profoundly affected by the use,....
Biggest Security Lapses for 2014-2015 and How to Handle Them
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 2015
In the privacy and security world, whenever a big health data breach makes the news, HIPAA experts warn that it’s only the beginning and the news will only get worse. Over the last year that has certainly been the case as the size and scope of breaches has climbed.....
Quality Data Starts With Us
Author: Dooling, Julie A
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 15, 2015
This monthly column will highlight and discuss emerging trends and challenges related to healthcare data and its ever changing life cycle.
Identifying patients correctly the first time is where data quality begins. Think of yourself as a patient for a moment.....
When Confidential Information Is Needed in Litigation
Author: Hedges, Ron
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 09, 2015
Legal consequences flow from the use or abuse of EHR. This monthly column presents examples of what those consequences can be.
Last month I wrote about the possible consequences for a healthcare provider which violated HIPAA when it produced personal health information (PHI)....
Consumer Access to EHRs Could Help Improve Security Efforts
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 2015
This is the second installment of the Journal of AHIMA’s special series for Privacy and Security Month at AHIMA. Click here to read the first installment.
Last year was a banner year for healthcare privacy breaches, according to an annual report that....
Must-Do ICD-10 Prep Checklist for Physicians
Author: Endicott, Melanie
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 08, 2015
Journal of AHIMA's monthly online coding column where AHIMA’s coding experts address challenging areas and documentation opportunities for ICD-10-CM/PCS.
Follow the ONC Road: Interoperability Map Plots Path to a Learning Health System
Author: Journal of AHIMA Staff
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
The lack of interoperable health information systems and IT has long been a barrier to achieving a learning health system (LHS) in the US. As the Institute of Medicine defines it, a LHS is a system in which “progress in science, informatics, and care culture align to generate new knowledge as a....
Cracking Encryption: Despite Benefits, Technology Still Not Widely Used to Combat Multi-Million Dollar Breaches
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....
Issues in Accessing Foreign Personal Information for Use in US Legal Proceedings
Author: Thomas, Jeane
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
Imagine your organization is involved in a lawsuit or government investigation and needs to access documents or information located outside the United States. If you think you can just demand that they be sent to the US because they are relevant or maybe even necessary for the legal matte....
Six Months and Counting: Are You Ready for ICD-10-CM/PCS Implementation?
Author: DeVault, Kathryn
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
With just six months until the implementation of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, now is the time for HIM professionals to re-evaluate the state of their facility’s implementation plan and make any necessary adjustments to ensure a successful transition. Previous delays may have slowed down....
Clearing the HIPAA Cobwebs: New ONC Chief Privacy Officer Lucia Savage Focuses on Balancing Privacy and Security with Expanding Interoperable EHR Exchange
Author: Dimick, Chris
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
The spiders of time have been hard at work on the US healthcare privacy and security rules, to the point that their place in health IT interoperability has become fogged and is inhibiting their proper role in the meaningful exchange of health information, according to Lucia Savage, JD, th....
Learn More to Earn More ... How to Further Your HIM Education, and What It Gets You
Author: Eramo, Lisa A
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
Determining what to do with one’s life is a daunting task. Even once you’ve chosen the field of HIM, the sky is the limit in terms of the roles in which you can serve. As HIM evolves commensurate with the electronic health record (EHR), the options only continue to grow—a....
Call for Additional Coding Metrics
Author: Stanfill, Mary H
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
The call for HIM professionals to develop measures and metrics that guide HIM efforts is not entirely new. Linda Kloss, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, president of Kloss Strategic Advisors and former chief executive officer at AHIMA, discussed the importance of these measures in a Journal of AHIMA art....
Where to Begin with Cyber Defense
Author: Lewis, Sharon; McDonald, Kevin B
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
As data is made more readily available through a growing number of public and private channels, understanding the risks is critical. Patients expect organizations to take the steps required to protect their sensitive and personal information as it is being produced, processed, shared, and....
Creating an Environment of Trust for Patients and Consumers
Author: Birnbaum, Cassi L
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
From the year 2009 through 2014, nearly 42 million people had their protected health information (PHI) compromised, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Each passing year brings into sharper focus the challenges associated with....
Implementation and Management of Patient Portals
Author: Baldwin, Kevin; Burton, Benjamin W; Cothran, Carey L.; DeMasters, Dana; Grady, Reginald; Halpert, Aviva M.; Hofman, Judi; Kadlec, Lesley; O'Dell, Rosann M; Pearson, Sandra; Deanna, Peterson; Rode, Dan; Rose, Angela Dinh; Schmidt, Peg
Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
The advancement of technology has changed the practice of medicine. It has evolved the physician-patient relationship from solely a face-to-face interaction into real-time online encounters, from e-mails to virtual appointments. Patient portals represent such a technological advancement, leadi....
Security, Privacy, and Safety Standards in Canadian Healthcare
Author: Gillis, Grant
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
In the large community of standards development organizations (SDOs) that are focused on healthcare and health informatics, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 215 Health Informatics (ISO/TC 215) is one of the leading forums. As mandated by ISO....
Evaluating the Information Governance Principles for Healthcare: Integrity and Protection
Author: Datskovsky, Galina; Hedges, Ron; Empel, Sofia; Washington, Lydia
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four articles that discuss the eight Information Governance Principles for Healthcare.
AHIMA’s new Information Governance Principles for Healthcare (IGPHC) provides a framework for healthcare organizations to enhance their ab....
Decoding the Cromnibus Spending Bill for HIM Stakeholders
Author: AHIMA Advocacy and Policy Team
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
Buried deep within the 700-page “cromnibus”—the massive spending bill passed by both chambers of Congress last December—are various provisions that could affect HIM professionals directly. The following offers an explanation of the cromnibus and some of its most relevant provisions.
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New Technology Creates New Privacy, Security Challenges
Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
Looking for some help around the house? Proponents of what has become known as the “Internet of Things” have been developing products that will do just that. For instance, the winners of the 2014 Internet of Things Awards represent a tempting array of Internet-connected product....
Instituting an Enterprise-wide PHI Disclosure Management Strategy
Author: Zeiour, Collette; Twiggs, Mariela
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: April 2015
With more than 1,000 large breaches of protected health information (PHI) on record, it’s not surprising that PHI disclosure management is currently top of mind for healthcare leaders.1 Many of these breaches have cost organizations between $1 million and $5 million in penalties, not to m....
Earning HIM Cred: the CHDA Credential
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: April 2015
As health information management (HIM) professionals find themselves constantly inundated with more data, they will need to update their skills to stay on top of it. And one of the best ways to do just that is by earning AHIMA’s Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA) credential.
Medical Device Security: Hollywood vs. Reality
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....
AHIMA Releases Information Governance Graphic
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 2015
For the uninitiated, information governance can be a somewhat abstract concept to explain and visualize. To help health information management (HIM) professionals grasp the importance of information governance—a set of principles designated to better organize and protect healthcare da....
Making the Case for ICD-10 to Physicians
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 2015
The HIM Problem
Trying to find the best way to advocate for the ICD-10-CM/PCS transition with physicians and legislators.
The HIM Problem Solvers
Dr. Paul Isaacs, MD, CDIP, senior director of health solutions, FTI Consulting; and Linda Renn, RHIT, CCS,....
You Say You Want a Data Revolution
Author: Dooling, Julie A
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 18, 2015
When “Data Revolution” was suggested for the title of this monthly column, I instantly thought of The Beatles (some of my favorite musicians) and their song “Revolution.”
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
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You've Been Served: What Might Happen When Responding to a Subpoena
Author: Hedges, Ron
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 12, 2015
Legal consequences flow from the use or abuse of EHR. This monthly column presents examples of what those consequences can be.
Healthcare providers receive and respond to subpoenas on a regular basis. Providers routinely produce personal health information (PHI) when doing so....
Coding Saint Patrick's Day
Author: Endicott, Melanie
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 11, 2015
Saint Patrick’s Day is both a cultural and religious celebration that includes displays of the color green, eating and drinking, and parades. One of the greatest places to celebrate this day, outside of Ireland, is the city of Chicago, where the people go all out for Saint Patrick’s D....
Calendar Year 2015 OPPS Update
Author: Maimone, Carol
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule providing required adjustments to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for calendar year (CY) 2015 on October 31, 2014.....
Telehealth, Scrubbing Robots Top Tech Watch List
Author: AHIMA Staff
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Health Information Management (HIM) professionals have a notoriously hard time getting folks in the C-suite to take on new health IT projects. But in one area, at least, that's beginning to change. Telehealth (or telemedicine) may have reached the tipping point in seeing a return on investment,....
Fixing a Broken EHR: HIM Working in the Spotlight to Solve Common EHR Issues
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Accounts of mistaken identity, anecdotally at least, seem to happen to everyone at least once in the healthcare realm with both paper and electronic records. But in an increasingly electronic world employing electronic health record (EHR) systems and other health IT where patients ar....
Using Information Governance Principles to Respond to Litigation
Author: Hedges, Ron
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
AHIMA's Information Governance Principles for Healthcare (IGPHC), published in late 2014, can be seen as a set of best practices for litigation. Attorneys and litigation support personnel would do well to keep the activities outlined in these principles in mind when responding to litigati....
Restrictions in Action: Three Case Studies
Author: Beckett, Barb; Downing, Kathy; Gillespie, Joe D; Waugh, Traci
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Since its initial adoption the HIPAA Privacy Rule has granted individuals the right to request restrictions on the use or disclosure of their protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO), as well as for disclosures to family members and certai....
Physician Fee Schedule Released for 2015
Author: Ward, Maria
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
On October 31, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule. Because of section 101 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, no changes to the fee schedule will occur until April 1, 2015. At t....
Making the Shift from Disruptive to Value-Based EHRs
Author: Birnbaum, Cassi L
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Despite the fact that "strides have been made in the sharing of information across technology systems and information platforms," according to Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health IT, I believe that our work has only just begun when it comes to developing a seamles....
ICD-10-CM Coding Guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities
Author: Liebner, Carole S; Lowery, Amanda L; Maccariella-Hafey, Patricia C; Usher, Joan L; Ward, Maria; Young, Carol
Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Diagnostic coding plays several important roles in every healthcare setting, including long-term care (LTC) nursing facilities. Come October 1, 2015, LTC facilities will assign ICD-10-CM codes to capture a resident's clinical conditions.
ICD-10-CM facilitates the collection and....
Expanding Role of Care Coordination in HIM
Author: Backman, Cecilia; Kadlec, Lesley; Kirby, Annessa; Leonard, Mary Ann; Ward, Maria; Westhafer, Kathy J
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Health Information Management's (HIM) role in care coordination involves much more than ensuring records are collected and disseminated for reporting purposes. HIM ensures that patient needs are met through availability of patient information along the continuum of care.
H....
Ready or Not, HIM is Changing: Results of the New HIM Competencies Survey Show Skill Gaps Between Education Levels, Students, and Working Professionals
Author: Sandefer, Ryan; Karl, Ellen Shakespeare
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
In January 2014, the AHIMA Council for Excellence in Education (CEE) released updated curricular competencies for all accredited academic programs, including those at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels. The curricular competencies were intended to better align education with....
Privacy and Security for All: Building the "Model Clinic" for Healthcare Security and Compliance
Author: Rogers, Anne M
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
HIPAA-HITECH regulations have imposed many important compliance requirements on US healthcare organizations, large and small. However, the reality is that many small- and medium-sized healthcare organizations, private practitioners, and non-profit clinics often struggle to comply with the....
Overview of Health IT Standards
Author: Orlova, Anna
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
Health IT Standardization is the process of agreeing on standards that allow electronic exchange of data, information, and knowledge between disparate data systems. The goals of standardization are to achieve comparability, compatibility, and interoperability between independent systems; t....
Aligning Strategies for the Future
Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
At AHIMA's 2014 Annual Convention and Exhibit, held in San Diego, CA, National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, announced that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) was in the process of refreshing its federal health IT strategic plan for the next....
OIG Reveals Top Oversight Priorities for 2015
Author: AHIMA Advocacy and Policy Team
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: March 2015
OIG's 90-page work plan for fiscal year 2015 (FY15) offers a high-level view of the office's continued monitoring of various HHS programs and initiatives, particularly those designed to ensure the appropriateness of Medicare and Medicaid payments. The work plan also outlines many of the government's activities in FY15 designed to ensure care quality and safety in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
ABCs of Health Plan Audits
Author: Crump, Dawn; Hennum, Jeannie
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: March 2015
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has a dramatic ripple effect on the healthcare industry—and will continue to create seismic shifts for many years to come. One important change for health information management (HIM) professionals to understand is the impact of ACA on health plan audits. Alre....
Building a Remote CDI Workforce
Author: Butler, Mary
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: February 2015
The HIM Problem
To improve the efficiency and productivity of its clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program, Baystate Health decided to train CDI specialists to work from home.
The HIM Problem Solvers
Walter Houlihan MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA, direc....
ONC Takes Action: Health Information Systems Interoperablity to Support Learning Health System
Author: Orlova, Anna; Warner, Diana
Source: Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: February 2015
In the effort to advance secure and interoperable health information exchanges, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Intero....
Coding Heart Procedures in ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-PCS
Author: Endicott, Melanie
Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website
Publication Date: February 11, 2015
The coding of heart procedures is done very differently in ICD-9-CM versus ICD-10-PCS. In honor of American Heart Month, this month’s Code Cracker explores the guidelines for coding heart procedures.
There are a few specific guidelines associated with procedures don....
HIM After Retirement: No Needlepoint for These Retirees, Who are Finding New Ways to Contribute to the Profession ... On Their Own Terms
Author: Eramo, Lisa A
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: February 2015
When Sherry Doggett decided to retire in 2013 after a 30-year career in HIM, the first thing she did was try to figure out how she was going to spend her time. Doggett, who spent her last year of work as the corporate director of transcription at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Academic....
Optimizing PHI Disclosure Management in the Age of Compliance
Author: Don, Hardwick; Twiggs, Mariela; Braden, James H
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: February 2015
A mere two decades ago, healthcare providers didn’t face significant penalties for improperly disclosing protected health information (PHI). Since then, regulations surrounding the privacy and security of PHI have evolved to include strict requirements and corresponding steep financial pe....
Dissecting the Details: Documentation Based Coding Model Offers Advanced Approach to Workforce Coding Training
Author: Karff, Diana
Source: Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: February 2015
Inpatient and outpatient coders enter the HIM workforce only after they have taken medical terminology, procedural terminology, pharmacology, structural anatomy and physiology, disease and treatment, and all requisite coding courses. These required courses earn academic credit in a classr....
CPT Updates for CY 2015
Author: Buttner, Patty
Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA
Publication Date: February 2015
On January 1, 2015, the updates to the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) went into effect. The updates include 276 new codes, including three new Category II codes and 39 new Category III codes. There are a total of 129 revised codes and 137 deleted codes....
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