Author: Zeisset, Ann M.; Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 1999

Physician offices face the challenge of submitting correct coding information through the billing process. Ensuring timely reimbursement at the highest level for which services were provided, correct coding also proves there are no fraudulent activities occurring at the facility. Performing a....

Author: Scott, Judith A.; Clary, Karen J.; Smith, Marlene J.E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 1999

Medicare fraud. These two words can strike fear in the hearts of healthcare professionals. In the wake of recent federal investigations alleging fraudulent billing practices at hospitals across the nation,1 this fear may be justified. In recent years, there have been an unprecedented....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 1999

The healthcare consumer is emerging as a strong force in today's healthcare industry. On a national level, current efforts for new and improved patients' rights legislation in the wake of complaints about access and rising costs, is placing the patient in a position of strength unlike....

Author: Mullin, Robert L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: October 1999

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) was developed as a replacement for the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) volume 3, Procedures. This version of ICD, in use since J....

Author: Fletcher, Donna M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Is work "falling through the cracks" between your department and another? Are you not getting information from peers that you need for your job? Is there "friction" between you and your peers? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, the process of building collaborative re....

Author: Sokolowski, Rachael

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

The advent of managed care and shifting alliances between HMOs, hospitals, and providers has fragmented the industry into separate entities that are highly dependent upon each other for the exchange of patient information. But that information, in the form of a medical record, is on paper—....

Author: Holland, Julie A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

What will happen on January 1, 2000? No one really knows for sure, but this is a good time to be prepared. This article highlights some of the issues you'll want to consider before December 31.
It's finally November 1999, and you're confident that you're done.

You've read abou....

Author: Fletcher, Donna M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Can our visionary leaders solve our problems? Sometimes. But more often, the reality is the power to solve problems lies with us. This is the fundamental assumption of the "adaptive work" concept presented in this article—along with some real-life examples of HIM adaptive work in action.....

Author: Lewis, Sue; Morath, Donald

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Management in the 21st century will require all the planning, analysis, credibility, and results you can command. Here's an overview of some of the strategic challenges HIM managers will face in the future. Also see "A Vision of Health Information Management in 2010" (Journal of A....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Outstanding achievements and contributions to the HIM field head the agenda as AHIMA members honor their colleagues with the 1999 Triumph Awards.

Thanks to the continued support of Lanier Worldwide, Inc., AHIMA is proud to recognize the following special individuals who have....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Twenty-five years ago, I worked at a 13-physician family practice clinic. My job entailed pulling and assembling charts for patient appointments and phone calls, inserting and maintaining the problem list and laboratory flow sheet, releasing requested health information t....

Author: Duggan, Christina Mayer

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Not many children grow up in doctors' lounges, but as a cardiologist's daughter, Bertine Colombo McKenna did. In fact, McKenna, ART, MBA, PhD, called the hospital "home" and knew healthcare would play a role in her future.

Today she's right at home at Vermont's F....

Author: Rupp, Cheryl

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

In any situation, there is a positive side and a negative side. At any moment, I decide.
—author unknown        


Compliance has become the trendy buzzword in almost every industry these days, but perhaps nowhere is it quite as prevalent as....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

With the increased attention to healthcare fraud and abuse in recent years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been using the False Claims Act to prosecute healthcare providers for practices that, in the past, might have been dealt with by seeking repayment. The damages and penalties....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

Two-thirds of today's health information managers will be in the prime of their careers 10 years from now. But what will the world of work look like? One way to gain an understanding of the future is to create scenarios. Scenarios are literally stories about the future th....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

This is the final Journal of AHIMA issue of the 20th century! That a year can pass so quickly marks not just the passing of time, but the significance of how much we can pack into 365 days. It reflects how much knowledge we acquire and how many activities we take on, results we reap,....

Author: Heifetz, Ronald A.; Laurie, Donald L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

We no longer live in a world where we have the right to expect authorities to know the answers. The adaptive challenges facing businesses demand not merely the application of expertise, but ongoing changes in the habits, attitudes, and values of people high and low in the ....

Author: Scichilone, Rita A; Zeisset, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1999

How many times have you asked the question "How do you code ___?" We never seem to have all of the answers involving new techniques or unusual cases. With accurate, correct data so critical, it is vital that we know the answers. Included in this article are several commonly asked questions wit....

Author: Hill, Emily

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

From physician assistants to nurse practitioners, the number of healthcare professionals offering patient care services has increased dramatically in recent years. With this increase comes a challenge to coders—accurately reporting the services provided by these prof....

Author: Noller, Janice R.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

To investigate high complication rates, coders at this facility found themselves working to improve communication, physician understanding of coder issues, and data quality. (FORE Best Practice, AHIMA Foundation)

Author: Yoder, Lois M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

You may want to consider a focused review of how your practice assigns CPT modifier -25, "a significant, separately identifiable Evaluation & Management (E&M) service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other service."1 The Health Care Financing Admini....

Author: AHIMA House of Delegates

Source: Journal of AHIMA | AHIMA HoD Resolution

Publication Date: January 2000

Background Information

Throughout its history, AHIMA has responded to industry dynamics with corresponding changes to its name and certification titles. The Association of Record Librarians of North America became the American Association of Medical Record Librarians. The Register....

Author: AHIMA House of Delegates

Source: Journal of AHIMA | AHIMA HoD Resolution

Publication Date: January 2000

Background Information

The concept of advanced standing—recognition such as fellowship for individuals with substantial professional achievements—has been discussed by AHIMA volunteer leaders for many years. Delegates at the 1997 House of Delegates expressed interest in....

Author: Fuller, Sandra R.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball to see into the future? Are you frustrated when your boss can't give you a straight answer about what is going to happen? Will there be more budget cuts? Will your clinic merge with that integrated delivery system? Should you volunteer to take over regi....

Author: Johns, Merida L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

What will the future of coding look like? A special AHIMA task force has several ideas. What will really happen depends on how coders choose to respond. Here's an overview of the task force's findings, plus suggestions on how readers can make the most of possible career opportunities.
It....

Author: Carpenter, Jennifer E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

You've been preparing for months. Everyone in your facility is on pins and needles. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has come to your facility. Your boss expects you to make sure everything under your control goes smoothly.

And then it happens. You a....

Author: Innes, Kerry; Peasley, Karen; Roberts, Rosemary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

Coders in Australia have already made the change to coding an Australian modification of ICD-10. What was the process of conversion like, and what lessons can we learn from it? Here's a step-by-step account of the change process.
While no definite date for making the change....

Author: Peters, Richard M. Jr.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

Storage, retrieval, and display of data are perpetual challenges for computer users who must also use paper. One answer to the challenge is XML, which can facilitate complex tasks for us. The author offers an overview of how XML can help us build better databases.
With each new trend in....

Author: Gleberman, Amy L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: January 2000

Incentive programs can be a good tool for increasing productivity while maintaining coding quality. Employees who are rewarded for extra production will likely perpetuate higher levels of productivity. High coding productivity can improve a healthcare organization's bottom line by sh....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) is developing "guiding national principles" for assisting institutional review boards (IRB) and similar bodies to protect against the wrongful disclosure of personal health information that could be used to identify patients involved....

Author: McLendon, Kelly

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

It's a big thing, this e-commerce revolution. The Internet has changed the way the world conducts business and many agree its influence will only grow more pervasive. HIM will not remain on the sidelines; it will certainly be drawn into the fray. What Is E-commerce?

E-commerce is a e....

Author: Kramer, Lynette; Meeks, Richard

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

If you asked HIM professionals about key success factors that substantially impact timely and accurate coding, three of the most common answers might be:
availability of the record immediately after the patient visit
availability of the complete record....

Author: Kirschner, Celeste G.; Zeisset, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: January 2000

The American Medical Association's CPT 2000 Coding Symposium was held recently in Chicago to discuss the more than 300 revisions in the 2000 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Here is a brief summary of the changes. 
A complete listing of the code and guideline changes can be foun....

Author: Rulon, Vera

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2000

What will facilitate medical product regulation and related electronic data interchange worldwide? For some regulatory authorities, the answer is the Medical Dictionary for Drug Regulatory Affairs—also known as MedDRA.

MedDRA (the name is a trademark of the International Federat....

Author: Graham, Debra

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

More and more is being seen and heard about the computerized patient record (CPR). The desire to embrace this new technology is often checked by fear of such a project's magnitude. A myriad of questions regarding computer literacy suddenly emerge: Do I, or anyone in my department, really under....

Author: Hefferan, Colleen; Ludwig-Beymer, Patti

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Chicago-area Advocate Health Care's recent congestive heart failure (CHF) care management initiative demanded an HIM professional's specialized skills and insight into information exchange. As a member of the interdisciplinary team recruited from Advocate's eight-hospital integrated de....

Author: Schoenfelt, Suzanne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

"Quality" is a multi-industry buzzword, but what does it really mean in today's healthcare climate? We asked the experts for their views on the state of quality improvement in healthcare and what lies in store for HIM professionals as QI evolves.
For decades, healthcare has concerned its....

Author: Osborn, Carol E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

How does your HIM department measure up? A national benchmarking survey of acute care facilities will give you some answers. Take a look at your colleagues' practice patterns.



HIM professionals often are asked to provide information on how their department....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Editor's note: This is Part I in a periodic series on the HIM hiring environment and how to hire the most qualified candidates.


Early in my managerial career, I supervised a small department in which turnover was infrequent and I seldom needed to hire. When I had to fill....

Author: Cooper, Mary; Ahern, Kitty; Dietz, Linda S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 2000

This article has been abstracted from the AHIMA Nov. 4, 1999 audio seminar "National Correct Coding Initiative" conducted by the authors. For a copy of the complete 90-minute seminar tape, contact AHIMA at (312) 233-1100.
Since 1996, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has us....

Author: Jeffries, Jane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Yolanda Malone, RHIA, can trace her career path back to an HIM professor's advice. "When I was looking for a job out of school, a professor told me to look at anything related to HIM," says Malone. Don't limit yourself, her professor told her. "And that's why I am wher....

Author: Welch, Julie J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Q: The ambulatory care facility where I work is considering implementing an electronic signature process. Is the use of electronic signature acceptable in ambulatory care? Also, what guidelines for this are available?

Q: What Internet security guidelines are available?
<....

Author: Wallace, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Healthcare organization accreditation is a fact of life. But did you know that HIM educational programs get accredited, too? Here's how the educational accreditation process is streamlining with the times.
HIM professionals are well aware of the process of accr....

Author: Skurka, Margaret A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

I begin this month's column with three questions: Do you have access to the Internet? Do you use it as a tool in your work? Are you regularly using the professional development information on AHIMA's Web site? If your answer to any of these questions is "no," I urge you to ....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

While most HIM professionals are acquainted with participating in a facility's Joint Commission accreditation processes, a small but significant number work in facilities that are also accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Though the organizations have....

Author: Godellas, Constantine V.; Baldwin-Stried, Kimberly A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

What's in the future for healthcare accreditation? The roots of its future can be found in the present. Here's a look at where accreditation has been—and where it's going.
Accreditation: it's a fact of life for many healthcare organization employees. As we enter the 21st century, he....

Author: Clark, Jean S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

For HIM professionals working at organizations surveyed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the information management standards are critical. Here's an overview of the key points and top issues surveyors look for.
Whether you work in acute, long term, h....

Author: Lich, Denisha

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

To address today's financial challenges, healthcare facilities are increasing their use of nonphysician practitioners, such as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants, to provide patient care. As a result, providers need to pay close attention to the employmen....

Author: Rulon, Vera; Tully, Lorraine

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2000

Here's how HIM professionals came to the fore at Oxford Health Plans as a new clinical audit process became a way to address claims submission isssues and save money. (FORE Best Practice, AHIMA Foundation)

Author: Mills, Sharon

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 2000

Hospital leaders who truly understand the challenge of achieving high-quality coding and are willing to commit resources to promote continuous quality improvement can be difficult to find. However, four years ago, visionary leaders in a not-for-profit healthcare system recognized that....

Author: Baker, Dixie B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Can the Internet support a system that gives both providers and patients safe access to clinical data? That's the goal of the PCASSO project. Here's how this real-life trial of an Internet patient information system works.
In recent years, the rapid development of Internet technology has....

Author: Limjoco, Cesar M.; Youmans, Karen

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: March 2000

In March 1999, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an executive summary on "Medicare Payments for Septicemia." The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) contracted with two clinical data abstraction centers to validate a national random sample of claims from all Medicare inpat....

Author: Thieleman, William; Postal, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

The uses of the Internet are well known, but companywide intranets are popular as well. In this article, two HIM professionals share how their organizations are putting the power of intranets to work for training, communicating, and more. An Intranet in the Healthcare Environm....

Author: AHIMA Board of Directors

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

[The Standards of Ethical Coding have been updated. You can view the most current version here.]

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

HCFA Administrator Nancy-Ann DeParle announced immediate actions developed by the Clinton administration to ensure quality care in nursing homes. According to the announcement, HCFA has: instructed states to impose immediate sanctions, such as fines, against nursing homes in more situatio....

Author: Murphy, Gretchen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Patients and providers are increasingly communicating via e-mail. But healthcare organizations are slow in adopting policies to address important issues and manage this new communication form. Here's what you can do to develop some measures.
Like most industries, healthcare is undergoing....

Author: Jeffries, Jane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Where does continuing education fit between a full-time job and the rest of your life? Increasingly, the answer is online. In many fields, Web-based education is rapidly becoming a popular alternative to traditional, instructor-led education. The Cleveland Clinic offers c....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Consumers go to healthcare Web sites to get information, keep track of their health, or connect with others. Behind the scenes at one such site, Barbara Demster, MS, RHIA, is working to make sure everything is legal.

Demster is corporate compliance officer for Healtheon/ W....

Author: Hagland, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Across the Internet, commercial services are developing online consumer health records. How do these work? What are the implications for HIM professionals? This article takes a look.

Like a sudden gust of wind whipping across a prairie frontier, a new phenomenon is emerging in hea....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Your accomplishments in your career and in your personal life have been possible because you've worked for them—not just wished for them. The same can be said about AHIMA as we've accomplished agenda and vision items over the past years.

We have numerous goals for 200....

Author: Kohn, Deborah

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Because the World Wide Web has become a popular place for healthcare users to browse and search for information, it offers healthcare providers, payers, and patients access to the widest range of healthcare information as well as the ability to disseminate information. As a result, the healthc....

Author: Houser, Shannon H.; Engle, Molly; Schumacher, Joseph E; Caldwell, Ellen; Kohler, Connie L; Phelan, Sharon T; Raczynski, James M; Reynolds, Kim D

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

How can HIM professionals ensure data collection consistency without access to earlier records? When protecting patient anonymity posed a challenge in a research study, HIM professionals took a team approach to abstracting records that maintained quality without compromising confidentiality.

Author: Lich, Denisha

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Contract reviews are an increasingly important function for corporate compliance officers. Regulations about gainsharing, professional courtesy, and Stark issues have resulted in the need for corporate compliance officers to team up with their organization's legal services to ensure th....

Author: Grzybowski, Darice

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

By taking full advantage of new technology and adopting an innovative approach to processing deficiencies, this hospital saved money and time. (FORE Best Practice, AHIMA Foundation)

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

On January 18, 2000, AHIMA submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the proposed rule for 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 160 through 164: "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information." The proposed rule....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

One of the Journal's editorial goals is to blend practical information that readers can use to improve practice today with topics that foretell future trends. The theme for this month's focus articles defies such neat classification. Health records on the Internet are undoubtedly the f....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

In an effort to track the spread of HIV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines to assist states in collecting data on the disease. By using the names of patients who test positive for HIV or unique identifying codes, the CDC hopes to better track the ....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: AHIMA Q and A | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2000

Q: I am the HIM director at a hospital scheduled to be surveyed this year by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. What should I expect before and during the survey?
A: Prior to the survey, you will be asked to complete a medical record review summary sheet,....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has established the FTC Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security to "provide advice and recommendations to the Commission regarding implementation of fair information practices by domestic commercial Web sites—specifically, providing on....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

Estimates attribute between 44,000 to 98,000 deaths each year to medical errors in hospitals, while more than 7,000 deaths are the result of medication errors occurring in all healthcare settings. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report "To Err is Human: Building a Saf....

Author: Abraham, Prinny

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

The growing pains of the past decade have led to medical record backlogs and record retrieval crises for many home healthcare agencies. These problems have pushed more than one agency director into enlisting the skills of an HIM professional to evaluate the medical record systems in pl....

Author: Zeisset, Ann M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2000

Implementing the processes for CPT modifier usage in the outpatient hospital setting has been a topic on everyone's "to do" list since HCFA announced the change. There are many variables in executing this change, such as updating or changing computer systems, training staff, and developing chan....

Author: Manning, Susan C.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

Voluntarily developed and implemented compliance programs for the healthcare industry are the continual goal of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services. The OIG recognizes that when a healthcare provider establishes an effective compliance plan....

Author: Welch, Julie J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

The portable PC market has been around for years, but early users had to put up with heavy machines, brief battery usage times, and quirky keyboards. Today, with high-capacity hard drives, Pentium chips, and corporate information systems support for palmtop, laptop, and notebook users,....

Author: Pavoni, Mary Mike

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

For some HIM managers, contracting with a vendor is their only external business relationship. The ideal outcome of the sale and purchase process requires both parties to commit to the success of the effort. If the HIM manager approaches a vendor with a "convince me I need this&qu....