Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

Q: When are rubber-stamp signatures acceptable? I read in a Part A newsletter that Medicare no longer accepts rubber-stamp signatures on documents that certify, order, or justify a service billed to Medicare. The newsletter cited the Medicare Conditions of Participation for hospitals (42CFR4....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

No other country on earth has as regulated a healthcare system as the US, and no country on earth comes close to our level of health spending. According to one estimate, Medicare regulations span more pages than the notorious Internal Revenue Code.1

Are all these standards....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

What do the proposed privacy regulations mean to HIM professionals—and what can you do now to begin to prepare? The author takes an in-depth look at the proposed rules.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is bringing significant changes to the ma....

Author: Fuller, Sandra R.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

E-commerce, e-shopping, e-mail—seems like there's an "e" in front of almost every word these days. What about health information management? Is HIM headed for cyberspace? And if the world is going to the Web, how ready is HIM to follow—or lead?



As we try to imagi....

Author: Brandt, Mary D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

From code sets to data sets to developing organizations, how much do you really know about technical standards? This article provides a handy reference guide.

The vision is clear: a longitudinal, or lifetime, health record for each person that is computer-based, secure, readily ac....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

How ready are healthcare organizations to put the proposed security regulations connected to HIPAA into effect? What are the next steps-or, in some cases, first steps-HIM professionals should take? Our panel of experts offers some advice.

So you thought preparing for Y2K was a lot o....

Author: Moczygemba, Jackie; Biedermann, Sue E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

The master patient index (MPI) is a powerful tool in healthcare organizations that HIM professionals are largely responsible for managing and maintaining. This article takes a look at MPI core elements and practice patterns in acute care facilities.


Mergers and....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

Typically, long term care facilities in the United States are not accredited by the Joint Commission. Whether current trends may change this picture, as facilities look for ways to distinguish themselves from their peers, remains to be seen.

While only a small p....

Author: Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2000

Coding for professional services is complicated enough when coding professionals are charged with assisting the physician to select the best five-digit number for the services rendered. It becomes even more complex when circumstances of the case require the CPT code to be modified. Add....

Author: Jeffries, Jane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

After years of learning and teaching HIM, Mary Alice Hanken, PhD, RHIA, now develops the standards that shape it. Hanken leads an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) subcommittee that authors the standards that are changing the meaning of security.

Hanken has....

Author: Cassidy, Bonnie S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2000

(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of special inserts intended to help HIM professionals educate themselves about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA] of 1996. In this installment, we take a look at this groundbreaking legislation from a nuts-and-bolts pe....

Author: Kibbler, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

In the third part of our special report, we look at HIM professionals and how they're coping with relentless change.
Change is the only constant these days for HIM professionals, who are continually adapting to new regulations, pervasive technology, and increasing demands on personnel.....

Author: Albaum-Feinstein, Andrea L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2000

Because coding for professional services in mental health settings requires an understanding of numerous and complex treatment options and settings, a periodic review of Physicians Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is essential. For many mental healthcare patients, a psychiatrist pr....

Author: Benson, Christine L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Medical records have traditionally housed a patient's health history, but they also hold the statistical information that enables healthcare facilities to determine patient care trends and guides administrators to project future demand of services. As a result, the need for more information,....

Author: Harman, Laurinda B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

What would you do if asked to do something on the job you suspected might be unethical? HIM professionals encounter these situations often. Our author takes us back to the original code of ethics and shows us how its principles can still apply today.
Today's HIM professionals operate in....

Author: Cassidy, Bonnie S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Are you prepared to comply with the final standards that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act will soon mandate? Experts recommend that to begin to prepare, you conduct your own internal assessment to determine where your organization is and where it needs to be. Now is the....

Author: Roadman, Charles H. II

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

As we prepare to address the challenges and opportunities ahead, providing compassionate, quality care to residents in long term care settings must remain our top priority. The 21st century is an opportunity for the long term care community to work on behalf of elderly and disabled cit....

Author: Skurka, Margaret A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Newspaper columnists spend plenty of time writing about problems in our society, trying to understand who's responsible for social ills and how they can be fixed. How does this relate to AHIMA? I believe that we can ask the same type of questions about some of the problems our professi....

Author: Halamandaris, Val J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, home health care was the fastest growing healthcare segment in the United States. Although Medicare cutbacks enacted under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 have left many home health providers struggling to survive under restricted reimbursements,....

Author: Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Core measures were developed to meet the Joint Commission's mission to improve the quality of care provided to the public by implementing a national, standardized performance measurement system that focuses on the results of care provided. By gathering core measure data through the ORYX initia....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) has published the OIG Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Facilities. Published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2000, the document contains seven fundamental elements for an effective complia....

Author: Herrick, Michael; Patterson, Andrew

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

All of these factors make it difficult to get a handle on "the big picture" of healthcare. Take into consideration most HIM professionals' ever-increasing workload, proliferating forms of media competing for their attention, and the normal concerns of everyday life, and keeping the big picture....

Author: Blumenthal, Jane E

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Her voice bubbling with enthusiasm, Ramona Fissinger, RHIT, describes her job as "typical of most other medical records director positions." But Fissinger, director of medical records services at the Community Hospital in Munster, IN, has a passion for health information mana....

Author: Kaval, Vincent R.; Veladi, Susan S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Change has been a constant during the recent evolution of the healthcare marketplace. Trends have emerged like shooting stars: very bright, but moving off stage quickly.

As we enter the new millennium, change in the healthcare marketplace continues rapidly. Payers, patient....

Author: Albaum-Feinstein, Andrea L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2000

Editor's note: This is the first part in a two-part series on diagnostic coding for mental healthcare. Part II will discuss the differences between DSM-IV and ICD-9-CM coding systems.

Coding and documentation and the development and implementation of an effective HIM compliance pro....

Author: Wagg, Dorothy Grandolfi

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

With Vision 2006, AHIMA's Board of Directors challenged members to expand our knowledge base and professional horizons. One role that several HIM professionals have been asked to fill is compliance officer or manager. Generally, this role has led us down a familiar path—using our....

Author: Kloss, Linda L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

How is the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 affecting academic medical centers? What is the likely impact of aging Baby Boomers on long term care and home care? What is contributing to the rise of complementary and alternative medicines?

This month, we focus on major trends acr....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

The Internet Healthcare Coalition (IHC) held a working summit from January 31 through February 2 to begin the development of an international "e-health Code of Ethics." The summit produced a set of guiding principles to govern the behavior of all health sites on the Internet. T....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht once said, "Today, every invention is received with a cry of triumph which soon turns into a cry of fear." Brecht died in 1956, but his statement remains relevant. The emergence of the so-called information age can be attributed to th....

Author: Welch, Julie J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

Q: Within what time frame are verbal orders required to be authenticated?

Q: Is electronic record storage legal?

Q: Does the Joint Commission require an RHIT or RHIA to be employed in a hospital's HIM department?

Julie Welch is an HIM practice manager at A....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2000

During my 28 years in the healthcare industry, I have had the good fortune to work for a couple of truly outstanding leaders. Although I recognized and attempted to emulate some of the management techniques used by these outstanding individuals, I didn't truly appreciate how skilled they were....

Author: Swope, Shana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

After Medicare regulations and the accompanying paperwork threatened to overwhelm an outpatient rehabilitation center, staff took steps to simplify the recertification process. The result was improved efficiency plus increased commitment to the electronic medical record. He....

Author: Gregg, Cheryl A.; Mallett, Sherri

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Medical necessity issues can lead to reimbursement and billing difficulties. Here are some basic principles to help you master this hot-button issue.

How many rejected claims are sitting on your desk waiting for you to play the appeals game? If medical necessity is the culprit, th....

Author: Loveland, Martha; Sims-Perry, Nanette

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

For Alacare, a home health agency based in Birmingham, AL, the keys to developing and implementing a compliance plan were edrucation and communication. Three years after the plan's introduction, managers find that continued followup is also an important element. First Steps Forward

....

Author: Knutson, Julie

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

In this compliance-driven age, many organizations are seeking the services of outside firms or "auditors" to conduct record reviews. But the proper selection process is often short-circuited by time considerations. Given the cost of audits, however, even if you'....

Author: Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2000

Do you know your APCs? July 1, 2000, is the start date for the Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) prospective payment system for Medicare reimbursement. CPT coding skills will directly affect revenue as the current Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) methodology is abandoned and mor....

Author: Beck, Catherine A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

One of the newest ways to store medical records isn't available to most HIM departments. For military personnel, the Personal Information Carrier (PIC) or "digital dog tag" is a computer storage medium that can hold some or all of a service member's medical record. Roughly th....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Author: Driggs, Rachel Commons; Zupko, Mary J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

A good audit program can save a provider from sanctions or fines. Whether you work on the hospital or physician side, here are some tips for better auditing practices.
Coded data is increasingly used for reimbursement, financial planning, clinical research, and evaluating quality of car....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

The privacy of personal information on the Internet is a hot topic nationwide. Is an e-health code of ethics in order? AHIMA and several other organizations are offering guidance this spring to the industry's first attempt at one.

Together with the American Medical Informa....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

In March, the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) Subcommittee on Standards and Security reached an agreement with six standard-setting organizations. The six organizations include the Accredited Standards Committee X12, Dental Content Committee, Health Level Seven,....

Author: Johnson, Donald W.; Christoff, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Among the benefits offered by a prospective employer, the opportunity to work at home ranks high to job candidates. However, the employer's commitment to a home-based or telecommuting employee should continue beyond recruiting and hiring by helping to ensure a safe and secure work envi....

Author: Staszel, Karen M.; Paluck, David B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

In 1999 Angela Hospice, a small organization with no affiliation to a larger healthcare system or managed care plan, faced a challenge. How could we most appropriately use our limited resources to implement a compliance program?

Our goal was not only to reduce the risk of fraud and....

Author: Dingman, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

When I was given the responsibility of developing a compliance plan for my hospital two years ago, I was initially overwhelmed. My background was in medical records and I did not have a book on my shelf to guide me. Fortunately, I soon found numerous agencies and associations, colleagues, and....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

You're ready to move to a different organization or position where you can take on new challenges and responsibilities. You've identified a vacant position that piques your interest. How can you ensure that your resume not only reflects your skills, education, and experience, but also....

Author: Skurka, Margaret A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

The first year of the new century is almost half over. I'd like to share our progress so far on a number of fronts, known as our current "hot topics."

At the close of our meetings, AHIMA board members participate in a hot topic debriefing. We discuss everything t....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

In April, the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology of the House Government Reform Committee held a hearing to review the merits of establishing the Commission for the Comprehensive Study of Privacy Protection. The focus of the hearing was the Hutchinson/Moran....

Author: Cassidy, Bonnie S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) became effective in 1996, many hospitals and physicians mistakenly assumed that its provisions did not apply to them. Similarly, many e-health vendors have yet to wake up to the fact that HIPAA applies to them as well.
....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

One of the first places to begin when creating a compliance program is the Office of Inspector General (OIG) compliance program guidances, designed to help healthcare organizations develop and implement effective programs. These documents (available online at http://www.hhs.gov/oig) include s....

Author: Anderson, Rhonda L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Compliance has always been with us, from the days of routine chart audits and care evaluation processes. But today HIM professionals in long term care find themselves facing the challenges of compliance as never before.

In recent years, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has inc....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Q: I work for a small physician practice. Until recently, physicians would take home patient records to dictate in the evening. Unfortunately, one of our physicians' cars was burglarized and 30 records were stolen. What should we do?
Q: Where I can access the Medicare Conditions of Part....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

Reducing fraud and abuse.
Making operations run more smoothly.
Improving services.
Keeping a lid on costs.

Compliance programs aim to do all of these things. And with expertise in coding, reimbursement, and regulatory matters, HIM professionals are natural members of....

Author: Prophet, Sue

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2000

Determining when a symptom, definitive diagnosis, or both should be coded can be challenging for coding professionals. This challenge is complicated by the varying rules regarding the coding of symptoms versus definitive diagnoses, according to the type of encounter and the particular service r....

Author: Albaum-Feinstein, Andrea L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2000

Editor's note: This is the second part in a two-part series on diagnostic coding for mental healthcare.

Documentation differences between DSM-IV and ICD-9-CM continue to challenge coders in mental health settings. Efforts to minimize these differences are evident in curren....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Have you found yourself in the position of developing or reviewing health information and documentation policies for an assisted living facility? If so, you know that it is not easy to find resources or standards for this growing industry. However, both the Joint Commission on Accredit....

Author: Czirr, Karen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Driven by current and potential privacy regulations and legislation, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) decided to address employee understanding of information security. In 1999, CHOP, comprised of a hospital, rehabilitation facility, physician offices, satellites, and ambulatory....

Author: Willett, Lyn

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

There's no doubt APCs are going to change the way your facility operates, but do you know how? By taking a look at your existing systems, you'll get a better idea of how to prepare for changes. This article spotlights specific functions to consider and optimize for the new outpatient prospect....

Author: Cassidy, Bonnie S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

As we have seen in previous installments, part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's purpose is to establish standards and requirements that make it easier to maintain and transmit health information electronically. These provisions, known as the administrative simplific....

Author: Averill, Richard F.; Grant, Thelma M.; Steinbeck, Barbara A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Are you ready for the outpatient prospective payment system? This special report tells you what you need to know. First, take a look at aspects of the new system that most directly affect HIM professionals. then, an expert offers advice on how to make aproactive transition to the new system.....

Author: Johnson, Sandra K; Rozovsky, Fay A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Medical errors are a problem of national concern. How can HIM professionals improve documentation and prevent errors? This article offers some risk management strategies.
Medical errors have been a hot topic since the release of last year's Institute of Medicine rep....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

E-health experts nationally are hard at work developing guidelines for this rapidly growing industry. Recently, three sets of guidelines were issued—by an advisory committee to the Federal Trade Commission, by the Internet Healthcare Coalition (IHC), and by a group of information....

Author: Zender, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

For many people, working with artificial intelligence may sound like something out of a science fiction movie. But for Amy Davis, RHIA, it's just part of the job.

Davis is coding specialist and knowledge engineer at DocCode.com, a company based in Jacksonville, FL. Davis's....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Editor's note: APCs, risk management, knowledge management...all of these are practice issues that will affect the way HIM professionals work in the future. But practice solutions exist right now in our day-to-day work environments as well. Here are a few successful practice sol....

Author: Hjort, Beth M.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Employer economies, staffing shortages, and advances in technology lead to the demand for outsourced functions, and there are a plethora of vendors happy to meet your facility's needs. Yet negotiating an outsourcing contract can be an intimidating proposition. Managers spearhead change interna....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), James Jeffords (R-VT), William Frist (R-TN), and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) are continuing to draft legislation that will curb medical errors and, at press time, was expected to be presented in June. Insiders indicated that the bill will likely focus on expan....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Q: My state's laws say that health information may be made available to researchers who provide written evidence of approval of their projects by an institutional review board (IRB). What is an IRB?

Q: Where should informed consent forms for research and research-related ....

Author: Scichilone, Rita A

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2000

When APC implementation begins on August 1, HIM professionals can expect increased complexity when coding outpatient encounters. Examining case studies in selected areas subject to APC payment may help coding professionals better understand the APC reporting process. Although coding guidelines....

Author: Kerr, Anneliese; Yoder, Lois M.; Michelman, Mark S.

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2000

If your facility is having trouble coding heart catheterizations correctly, education may be the missing piece. An atypical number of right or bilateral heart catheterizations can indicate a need for coder education, physician education, or both. The state of Florida identified an opp....

Author: Heustis, Kathryn D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

Opportunities for HIM professionals are continually expanding into new and challenging care settings. Renal dialysis facilities are one of the more unusual settings offering HIM professionals a new role.
Renal Dialysis Basics

Medicare coverage for indiv....

Author: Hammen, Cheryl

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

The objective of the Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) fiscal year 1999 audit was to determine whether medical fee-for-service claims complied with Medicare rules and regulations. The OIG examined claims for accurate documentation and coding, medical necessity, and to ensure that c....

Author: Thompson, Nancy A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

If you feel like you've ever reinvented the wheel when changing or improving processes, the Department of Veterans Affairs may have the answer. Read on to learn more about the Virtual Learning Center, an online knowledge base of healthcare solutions.



We all have....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2000

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) published the final rule for the prospective payment system (PPS) for home health agencies in July. This rule, which takes effect October 1, 2000, replaces the retrospective reasonable-cost-based system used to pay for home health service....

Author: Cottrell, Carlton

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2000

Coding quality for Medicare claims is an area of constant concern. Coding errors can have far-reaching effects in the healthcare universe, and coders are experiencing increased scrutiny from both regulators and hospitals looking to control costs. As a follow-up to results of a Medica....

Author: Hagland, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2000

HIM professionals may not be totally ready for a paperless environment—but then again, neither is anyone else.
Linda Fischer Smith remembers well the days (after all, they were just a couple of years ago) when she and her colleagues in the health information management area at Kais....