Author: Odom-Wesley, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

The 19th century poet Will Allen Dromgoole was probably not thinking about HIM when she penned “The Bridge Builder.” Today, the poem is most often used in contexts like teaching, scouting, and volunteering, but its inspirational theme is also a perfect metaphor for AHIMA’s recen....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

While legislative activity in Congress has been slow, 2002 has proven very active for various healthcare regulations, coding standards discussions, and AHIMA. Most activity has surrounded code sets and coding standards, healthcare information infrastructure, and privacy.

Changes to....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

“Privacy and security are big issues for consumers. Many e-health sites are not covered by HIPAA, so even though they think they don’t need privacy and security, we need to make them aware of it. We need to work with organizations to make sure data collected by health sites or by In....

Author: D'Amato, Cheryl; Hoag, Patience J.; Crocker, Elsa; Neville, Deborah; Carpenter-Barbee, Cheryl; Bartell, Laurie

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2002

Remember the glorious Knights of the Round Table who made Camelot famous? King Arthur created a meeting place with special significance, a roundtable at which every seat had equal worth. AHIMA has embraced the spirit of this concept in a program known as coding roundtables, which are designed....

Author: Wagner, Lew

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

Threats to your facility’s physical and information security become more complex all the time. To create a truly effective security program, consider developing an integrated security program that encompasses both traditional and information technology protection. The result? A strong, st....

Author: Pearsaul, Sara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

Healthcare grows safer and more effective all the time, due in part to Internet-based technology. In this article, learn how healthcare facilities are using the electronic medical record, telemedicine, personal digital assistants, and more to transform healthcare delivery.

Hardly a....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Waymack, Pam

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

The HIPAA privacy rule provides individuals the right to request access to and amendment of their protected health information maintained in a designated record set (DRS). To ensure that the DRS is completely identified but excludes information that does not pertain, covered entities should ad....

Author: Woloszyn, William

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

Who, me? Work as both a privacy officer and a security officer? It may seem impossible, but it can be done. While the roles of privacy officer and security officer are often presented as two distinct jobs in relation to HIPAA, if a lack of resources or personnel demand it, a daring HIM pro....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill; Rhodes, Harry B.

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

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

Author: Odom-Wesley, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

When you think of leaving a legacy, what comes to mind? For many, giving to others has the greatest impact. This year, the Foundation of Research and Education (FORE), AHIMA’s charitable affiliate, will begin Fast FOREward, a two-year campaign that presents an opportunity for every AHIMA....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle; Scichilone, Rita A; Fletcher, Donna M.

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Jeffries, Jane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

“HIM is a lot more visible now and we have to work to keep it that way by staying involved at the state and national level.”
—Laurie Bartell, RHIT, CCS, CPC, director of health information and records, Memorial Hospital of Sheridan County, Sheridan, WY
More than a few HIM p....

Author: Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2002

The future of coding systems in healthcare transactions is brighter than many might think. Because of the rapid changes in healthcare services, technology, and the industry as a whole, there are more coding systems emerging that may affect the work of clinical coding professionals in the futur....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

ICD-10 has taken hold around the globe, so why is the US still using ICD-9-CM? This article reviews the history of ICD-10 in the US.


Other countries are using it. Why aren't we? Coding professionals across the country and around the world are wondering why ICD-10-CM hasn't been....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

The many exceptions to the HIPAA privacy rule’s accounting of disclosures standard make it difficult to determine what must be tracked. Although the rule gives patients the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of their health information, it lists several exceptions. This article....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

In May, AHIMA’s Board of Directors approved two key issue statements—one on consistency of healthcare diagnostic and procedure coding, and a second on national healthcare information infrastructure (available at www.ahima.org). These “umbrella” statements are general and ap....

Author: Hanna, Joette

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

The government has turned its attention to coding compliance. Do you have an effective program in place? Use the steps in this article to build a coding compliance program that protects your organization.


Coding compliance has become an integral part of every HIM department
....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

With the lowest error rate to date and less money being reimbursed for improper payments, the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) 2001 review of Medicare fee-for-service claims has become a model from which to build compliance programs. The review, which was the sixth such review conducte....

Author: Hagland, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

As clinical coding technology advances, coding professionals’ responsibilities and work environments are changing. Some coders are working from home, while others are taking on quality assurance roles. In all cases, a willingness to embrace change is a must.

Ask Pat Biesboer, R....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

In the past 10 years, the number of new long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) in the United States has tripled. Because of this growth, LTCHs are the newest post-acute settings to face a change in the reimbursement system.


While there are only about 270 LTCHs in the United States, t....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

This year, AHIMA introduces a new coding credential—the Certified Coding Associate (CCA). The credential is different from AHIMA’s other coding credentials—the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) and the Certified Coding Specialist—Physician-based (CCS-P)—in some importan....

Author: Dahlstrand, Harold

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

Why do some organizations consistently thrive in an era of ever-changing politics, regulations, and increasingly scarce resources? The answer is leadership. Winning organizations have excellent leaders who know how to make smart decisions and implement them quickly and effectively. Those who a....

Author: King, Mitchell S.; Lipsky, Martin S; Sharp, Lisa

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

As the government turns its high beams on fraudulent billing, physician E/M coding is raising questions. With several studies spotlighting the difficulty physicians have in applying CPT E/M codes, the authors wanted to know if credentialed coders had the same problem. Here’s what they fou....

Author: Warren, Judith J.; Bakken, Suzanne

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2002

HIM professionals can learn a lot from the nursing profession’s development of classification systems, terminology models, and quality indicators. Compared to other healthcare classification systems such as ICD-9-CM or CPT-IV, the nursing systems have not been widely used for reimbursemen....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

Q: I work in a clinic setting. An attorney has requested copies of a patient's entire record. The record includes reports dictated by one of the clinic physicians at a local hospital during the patient's hospitalization. The attorney has the patient's permission. Are we allowed under HIPAA to....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

Privacy rule implementation teams have a dilemma.


The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently proposed amendments to the HIPAA privacy rule aimed at correcting problems related to its implementation. HHS gave the public until April 26 to provide comments. Based....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

HIM professionals have long known the electronic health record (EHR) will change the collection, storage, and maintenance of health information, not to mention the delivery of care, but what about the its effects on the HIM department? While revolutionizing the HIM process, there can’t hel....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

The concept of a healthcare information infrastructure, like some of the technology it represents, has moved quickly into the spotlight this year. While no one predicts that it will be completed before the end of the year, HIM professionals should realize that the discussion on this concept, i....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

The HIPAA transactions, security, and privacy regulations identify five agreements and relationships that can be established between healthcare entities to achieve economies of scale and lessen HIPAA's administrative burden. They are: affiliated covered entity (ACE)

business associa....

Author: Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2002

Have you ever had a physician ask if you can put the encounter form on her hand-held computer? Or maybe the physicians in your medical group have been offered free personal digital assistants (PDAs) if they use a certain application and they want you to find out if these devices can expedite c....

Author: Dunaway, M. Tray

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

Ask a physician: "Doctor, are your detailed history and physicals comprehensive?" Now ask: "Doctor, are your comprehensive history and physicals detailed?" Chances are, you'll get two affirmative replies. To a physician, detailed workups are comprehensive, and comprehensive workups are detaile....

Author: Tracy, Wayne R.; Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

NCVHS' endorsement of HL7 as the standard for electronic exchange of patient medical record information promises to simplify the transmission of such information between healthcare organizations. However, this endorsement also empowers HL7 to serve as the architect of the electronic health rec....

Author: Odom-Wesley, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

I am so proud to be a part of an organization that celebrates and promotes diversity. One of the Association's recently refined values statements is: "The celebration and promotion of diversity." AHIMA is committed to respecting our members and all individuals with whom we work and collaborate....

Author: McCarthy, Therese; Johnson, Marlene L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, MN, began its journey toward an EHR in 1998 with the implementation of an online nursing documentation system in which nurses enter information using desktop and laptop computers and wireless devices. A network of integrated care services with three acute ca....

Author: Waegemann, C. Peter; Tessier, Claudia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

Patient care information often suffers as it travels from handwritten notes, dictation, or the memory of the clinician to the medical record. Hand-held devices equipped with mobile healthcare applications can bring documentation to the point of care. In this article, learn how mobile healthcar....

Author: Hawkins, Fanny

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

Is clinical documentation significantly different before and after implementing the electronic health record (EHR)?
Believing that the development and implementation of an EHR strategy is required for success, Baylor College of Medicine sought to answer this question. This article present....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

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

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

Q: What is a virtual shredder?

Q: A developmentally disabled adult was recently admitted to our hospital. The patient was accompanied by his older sister. The sister indicated her brother could not write but that he could draw an "X." Because the patient doesn't have a court-appointe....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

This is part 1 of a two-part summary of proposals from the April 2002 ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting and includes procedure proposals. Part 2 will include diagnosis proposals and will be published in the October Journal of AHIMA.
The ICD-9-CM Coordination and Main....

Author: Gradle, Brian D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

While HIM professionals work to implement HIPAA, courts across the nation continue to hear cases that could affect this work. Namely, these are cases related to state privacy laws.


HIPAA's "preemption" framework provides that state laws that are not contrary to HIPAA or that p....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

This is Part 1 of a two-part article on national coverage and policies for clinical diagnostic laboratory services payable under medicare Part B. Part 1 concentrates on the administrative policies. Part 2, which will appear in the October issue of the Journal, will focus on the national covera....

Author: Squazzo, Jessica

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

"I envision the future of the HIM profession through an IT perspective. HIM managers need to focus on the quality, security, and access to patient information. The profession is expanding beyond the medical record."
--Genet Kidane, RHIA, product manager, Mobile Computing Group, McKesson I....

Author: Bundt, Major Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

Under pressure to maximize efficiency and resources, a VA hospital department ananlyzed its dictation processes and was able to pinpoint opportunites for savings. Here's how they did it.
Levels of utilization and quality of specialty services in Veterans Administration healthcare faciliti....

Author: Bechert, Londa

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services in Indianapolis, IN, is a member of the Ascension Health network, a nationwide Catholic health ministry. The HIM department has centralized responsibility for the main campus (650 beds) in Indianapolis, the St. Vincent Carmel Hospital (65 beds), and mul....

Author: Dunn, Rose T

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Staring down another backlog in your HIM department? Use routine data collection activities to strengthen your case for additional staff, increased budget dollars, or an incentive program.
Daily challenges in an HIM department include increasing workloads and accumulating backlogs withou....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Brandt, Mary D.; Dennis, Jill Callahan

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Odom-Wesley, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Are you ready for the revolution? The e-health revolution, that is. E-health is a new frontier to explore and conquer. According to AHIMA's E-health Task Force, there is an increasing sense of urgency to move the healthcare industry into the electronic information age. The Internet and its der....

Author: Myjer, D'Arcy; Madamba, Roderick

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

The benefits of a document imaging system are myriad once it's installed—it's the implementation that you need to prepare for. In this article, get a bird's eye view of one facility's implementation and the many lessons learned along the way.

Healthcare has been inching toward....

Author: Sullivan, Tori E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

It's April 10, 2003, and a privacy officer is reviewing her policies for the imminent privacy regulations, title II of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. The compliance deadline is April 13, 2003, and she is already feeling stressed about meeting the date.....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 2002

The ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee, cosponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), met on April 18-19, 2002, in Baltimore, MD. Donna Pickett, RHIA, from NCHS, and Patricia Brooks, RHIA, from CMS, co-....

Author: Hjort, Beth M.

Source: AHIMA Q and A | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Q: When are history and physical (H&P) requirements for outpatients necessary?


A: The scarcity of specific resources on this topic contributes to the difficulty of guidelines development. However, a number of standards and requirements, taken collectively, offer guidance.
....

Author: Hagland, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Many healthcare facilities are exploring document imaging solutions and enjoying the benefits of increased accessibility and faster workflows. The transition requires significant planning, however. In this article, learn how several healthcare organizations implemented document imaging systems....

Author: Hicks, Jewelle E

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

"As HIM professionals, we always have the opportunity to tell others about our careers. You never realize the impact these 'marketing moments' can have on others." --Laurie Bach, RHIA, SNF administrator/manager of HIS,
McClellan Health System, Cambridge, NY
What is the key to managi....

Author: Squazzo, Jessica

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Wondering how your peers across the country are managing the myriad challenges that confront HIM professionals? We assembled a panel of experts to address common problems and concerns.

With changing technology on the horizon, HIPAA deadlines fast approaching, and staff shortages at....

Author: Clark, Jean S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

When the Joint Commission standards related to clinical pertinence review were revised, flexibility and an ongoing process for review of medical records at the point of care was the intent. This continues to be the goal of IM.7.1-IM7.10.1, though there are still directions in the requirement t....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Every healthcare provider has experienced managing patient complaints, whether they are about cold food, unresponsive staff, or missed medication. However, when it comes to privacy and confidentiality, complaints need to be handled a bit differently. In this article, we'll explore how to handl....

Author: Kostick, Karen M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 2002

Since 1997, AHIMA has offered a Certified Coding Specialist--Physician-based credential (CCS-P) for HIM professionals who are employed in the physician setting. In recent interviews, an office manager, coding manager, coding coordinator, and two physician-based consultants shared their coding....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

The AHIMA Policy and Government Relations (P&GR) staff in Washington receives a number of questions concerning how a particular proposed law, legislation, or possible regulation will affect the management of an HIM department, coding section, or other functions that are typically performed by....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Many HIM professionals will be called upon to perform an extraordinary feat during the next six months. They will be asked to bring one or more organizations into compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule by April 14, 2003. While this task is challenging in organizations that began such efforts a....

Author: Willard, Dianne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

This is Part 2 of a two-part article on laboratory services regulations. Part 1, which appeared in the September Journal of AHIMA, dealt with the administrative policies contained in these regulations. Part 2 addresses the specific national coverage decisions that were developed as part of thi....

Author: Hewitt, Joseph B.; O'Connor, Michele

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Behind every medical record is a patient whose care depends on a thorough understanding of current and past medical conditions. When that understanding is compromised due to an incomplete record, care suffers. Learn how an enterprise master patient index can be the foundation of medical record....

Author: Crerand, William J.; Lamb, Jana; Rulon, Vera; Karal, Bilun; Mardekian, Jack

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Data management's mission is to construct databases that are complete and high quality to meet a study's analytic objectives and comply with regulatory standards. In this article, we'll provide an overview of basic procedures and approaches used in the pharmaceutical industry to "build quality....

Author: Zeisset, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2002

The ICD-9-CM coding changes and DRG changes for fiscal year 2003 include 106 new diagnosis codes, 41 new V codes, 16 new E codes, 25 new procedure codes, and 19 invalid diagnosis codes. Released in the August 1, 2002, Federal Register, these changes went into effect October 1, 2002, with disch....

Author: Katzenberger, Philip

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

The information age inundates us with data. The challenge is transforming the data into information that can be used for healthcare planning. In general, obtaining the data is easy but creating information from it begins by asking a few questions:
Who will use this data?
How does t....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

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

Author: Dahlstrand, Harold; Hjort, Beth M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Do you know where your HIM department is headed? HIM departments are affected by many external forces, yet a considered vision and anticipation of the unexpected can help to make the uncontrollable more manageable.


If you're an HIM leader, ask yourself these questions: What is....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

You've attended seminars, read articles, outlined systems, and developed forms for implementing the privacy rule, but there is still one step left--actually writing the policies and procedures. For many practitioners, policies and procedures are important but are often put off, then forgotten.....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Q: Where can I find federal regulations, interpretive guidelines, and Medicare manuals online?
Q: Where can I find information regarding auto-authentication?
Q: When should a change to scanned documents in an information system be identified as a late entry?
Michelle Dougherty (....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Some saw the final rule on HIPAA privacy, published in August 2002, as a crowning achievement after years of efforts to secure patient privacy. Others took a more negative view, claiming that big business had finally ensured unhampered access to patient data. HIM professionals, however, should....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

"You don't need to be a computer programmer to do [data management]. You need to know how to manage data. The rest will fall into place." --Lorraine Tully, director of HIM, HealthMarket, on getting started in data management
Understanding the big picture: that's what Lorraine Tully, RHIT, beli....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Johns, Merida L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Depending on how you count them, there are anywhere from 20 to 60 new policies, procedures, forms, and other related documents required by HIPAA. Its training requirements specify that all members of the work force must be trained on policies and procedures with respect to protected health inf....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

By now you know that amendments to the final privacy rule were published in the August 14, 2002, Federal Register. The amendments are intended to correct problems identified in the original privacy rule published on December 28, 2000.


This article presents a summary of some of....

Author: Odom-Wesley, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

This is the time of year when we reflect on the previous year and formulate resolutions for the coming year. It has been my honor to serve as your president this year. Thank you, my AHIMA family, for the support, encouragement, and contributions that make AHIMA all that it is today.

Author: Carol, Ruth

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Collecting the data is just the beginning. Data quality managers turn patient care data into the information needed for research, quality reviews, and future planning. And it's a job for which HIM professionals are ideally suited.
An obstetrics department resident wants to know how many p....

Author: Choate, Dana M.; Rudd, Jessica

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2002

Faced with a severe coder shortage, Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas, TX, decided to do something radically different. With the support of administration and financial backing of the center, we developed the Coding Education Program (CEP).

The program targets existing empl....