Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: September 2011

The ICD-10-CM/PCS transition will provide coding professionals with the opportunity to enhance their coding skills. However, it will also require most coders brush up on their anatomy and physiology knowledge. Now is the perfect time to gain a better understanding of the differences between IC....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2015

The complexity of ICD-10-PCS, as well as the need for a better understanding of anatomy and physiology and the technique of surgical procedures, has been well documented. The coding of cardiovascular procedures in ICD-10-PCS, in particular, requires focus.


Consider these p....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2016

The implementation of ICD-10-PCS has created new challenges in coding surgical procedures. While coding professionals have always been expected to read and interpret all surgical documentation, ICD-10-PCS has increased the level of understanding necessary for accurate code assignment.

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....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2012

As organizations begin to prepare for ICD-10 implementation, the question of coder productivity is usually close to the top of everyone's list. Addressing productivity in ICD-9-CM will provide a baseline of information crucial for the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS.

The AHIMA e-HIM Cod....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: February 2010

Changes to CPT codes for 2010 include 219 additions, 141 revisions, and 63 deletions. This article highlights some of the more notable changes; a comprehensive list can be found in appendix B of the 2010 CPT coding book. The changes took effect January 1.
Resequencing

The most n....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2009

The final rule for the FY 2010 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System was released on July 31, 2009. Changes in the rule went into effect with inpatient discharges of October 1, 2009, and are reflected in Grouper Version 27.0.

The changes to MS-DRGs and the complication and co....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: January 2012

The transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS will provide coding professionals with the opportunity to enhance and improve their coding skills. However, it will also require coders brush up on their anatomy and physiology knowledge. This is the perfect time to gain a better understanding of the differences....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2013

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

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

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2013

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


In this article, the Journal of AHIMA continues the 10 part Coding Notes series focusing on the 31 root operations of ICD-10-PCS. This article will take a more in de....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2012

The conversion to ICD-10 impacts all segments of healthcare, including data management processes.

The 2012 ICD-10 Summit provided attendees and presenters alike the opportunity to learn from the experiences of their peers and hear first-hand accounts of ICD-10 implementation successe....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2010

The final rule for the FY 2011 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System was released July 30, 2010. Changes in the rule went into effect with October 1, 2010, inpatient discharges.

The changes to MS-DRGs and the complication and comorbidity (CC) and major complication and comorb....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn; Easterling, Sharon; Huey, Kim

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

In the current era of healthcare transformation, the continuing importance of documentation and coding cannot be overstated. With the multitude of acronyms being added to the healthcare vocabulary, one may wonder where documentation and coding fits in. It’s important to remember that....

Author: DeVault, Kathryn; Sartori, Natalie

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2018

By Kathryn DeVault, MSL, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, and Natalie Sartori, MEd, RHIA


All coding professionals have been involved in coding audits, in one form or another. Many hear the term “coding audit” and expect it to be a quality....

Author: DeVoe, Megan

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2017

The Impella® device (2.5 and 5.0) provides percutaneous external ventricular support for high-risk patients who cannot undergo traditional open cardiovascular procedures in the inpatient hospital setting. Like intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs) that have been used for decades, these de....

Author: DeVoe, Megan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2018

By Megan DeVoe, CCS


Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a three-part series on how to master the information available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.


When coding foR outpatient hosp....

Author: DeVoe, Megan

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: July 2018

By Megan DeVoe, CCS


Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a three-part series on how to master the information available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.


Have you ever wondered how a code bec....

Author: Diamond, Carol; Ricciardi, Lygeia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2006

For nationwide health information exchange to succeed, consumers must trust that their data are being managed responsibly. Regional and other networks that create the nationwide exchange should make consumer trust a priority that is factored into every decision they make. Connecting for....

Author: Diamond, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2019

By Mark Diamond


Health information management (HIM) professionals need to ask themselves if their records retention schedule is helping or hurting their records retention program.


Traditional records retention schedules largely assume that most information is paper-....

Author: Dickey, John MSHI, RHIA, PMP

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2018

By John H. Dickey, MSHI, RHIA, PMP


The road to information governance (IG) varies greatly between healthcare organizations. Some organizations may compare it to a pathway with trampled grass, partially filled with gravel, while others find a freshly paved....

Author: Didear, Kay

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 1998

Implementing a computer-based patient record (CPR) begins long before the first installment of software is loaded. This process significantly benefits from the skills and expertise health information management professionals bring to the table. But don't assume that your healthcare m....

Author: Dierker, Lynn

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2008

Operating between community efforts and a nationwide health data network, statewide public-private partnerships are showing unique potential to advance interoperability and promote effective governance.

The early proliferation of health data-sharing networks produced numerous config....

Author: Dill, Mark W; Lucci, Susan; Walsh, Tom

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2016

As protectors of patient health records, health information management (HIM) professionals are developing a keener understanding of the broad topic of cybersecurity and are becoming actively involved in organizational cybersecurity efforts. Information technology (IT) departments typically are....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2011

Immediately after landing her first HIM job in 1978, Lynne Thomas Gordon became a member of AHIMA. Now, after a 30-year career that has ranged from HIM intern to hospital C-suite administrator, Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, FACHE, feels her entire career has led to her recent appointment as AHIMA....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2008

Sharon Sprenger, MPA, RHIA, CPHQ, is saving lives, one performance measure at a time. Though she is not handling scalpels or running crash carts, Sprenger still considers herself a vital behind-the-scenes player in healthcare improvement.

Sprenger is the senior advisor, measurement o....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2009

The ambitious experiment to identify and lower the privacy and security barriers to health information exchange is winding down. The legacy, say participants, is awareness, resources, and proof that collaboration works. What happens next, however, is uncertain.

The Health Information....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2010

Since beginning his career in healthcare, Alan Dowling, PhD, has understood that health information management is at the core of quality care. It is as beneficial in the treatment of patients as a good radiologist or CAT scan machine, he believes.

As AHIMA’s new CEO, Dowling says he....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

There are two basic approaches to the ICD-10 transition: (1) a late, mad scramble to get systems converted before the deadline; or (2) an intentional cultivation that uses the transition to improve business processes, documentation, and clinical care. Three organizations offer a picture of the....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2012

Today's HIM education models must change now to keep up with the rapidly evolving landscape of tomorrow's HIM field.



The health information technology revolution has begun, and as it progresses, the shake-up in health information management departments, processes, a....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2009

Keeping the organization’s master patient index clean leads some HIM departments all the way back to patient registration, where they collaborate to prevent errors before care starts. Accurate registration helps keep patient data complete and clean as it moves throughout the organization.

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2012

In an industry facing several distractions from various government initiatives and regulation changes, ICD-10-CM/PCS became the center of attention from April 16-17 as top experts and interested parties gathered in Baltimore, MD to discuss the ongoing transition to the new code set at the 2012....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 2011

By nature, coding is a profession full of change. However, these days everything seems to be changing at once—from documentation at the point of care to workflow to code sets to reimbursement methods. And these days, everything seems to be high priority.One thing....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: August 2011

Editor’s note: This month’s practice brief, “HIM Functions in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety,” outlines the critical functions HIM professionals perform in the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care. Here, members of the AHIMA quality and safety tas....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 2011

An increasing number of healthcare facilities are turning to computer-assisted coding (CAC) to streamline workflows and help reduce coding workloads. Others are giving the technology a close look for the first time.


“Interest in the technology has grown significantly ov....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2013

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


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

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 2012

If you’ve never requested your medical records from your doctor or hospital before, the process can seem complicated. However, understanding the law and the basic requirements will ease the process.

The Record Request Process


The basic process for requesting a medica....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 2010

HIPAA gave consumers the right to request that covered entities restrict certain disclosures of their protected health information, but it did not require covered entities to comply. ARRA does—in certain situations. ARRA also expands patients’ rights to an accounti....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 2010

Recent changes to the enforcement of the HIPAA security rule have left many and HIM professionals wondering what, if anything, they need to change in order to stay compliant.


Federal regulation last year introduced the potential for additional random....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 2011

Editor’s note: In the cover story to this month’s print issue, Journal writer Chris Dimick explores the patient-centered measures in the meaningful use EHR incentive program. As experts tells him, the current stage 1 measures are a good start to getting patients more informatio....

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....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2018

New AHIMA CEO Excited to Foster HIM Reimagined Implementation, Focus on Member Priorities


Transformational change in an industry can be scary—and cause many professionals to shy away from the challenge. But it’s the transformational cha....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2018

By Chris Dimick


Cybercrime may seem like a rare, unlikely risk to some healthcare providers. But the threat is real—and rising—whether a healthcare facility is small or large, rural or urban. According to a January 2018 report comm....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: November 07, 2011

The regional extension centers—created through federal grants to help small providers and hospitals select, implement, and use health IT—have several years remaining on their contracts. However, they are already considering business models that would make them self....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: November 01, 2011

The path to meaningful use runs through the HIM department.  Meeting the requirements of the federal EHR incentive program requires the contributions of HIM professionals to redesign documentation workflow, implement new health IT systems, and capture quality measures.


F....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 01, 2010

In September 2009 the Department of Health and Human Services released an interim final rule describing a covered entity’s responsibilities to notify victims of a breach to their personal health information. The new rule was the result of provisions in the American Recovery and Reinv....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 05, 2011

Editor’s note: In the cover story to this month’s print issue, Journal writer Chris Dimick explores the patient-centered measures in the meaningful use EHR incentive program. As experts tell him, the current stage 1 measures are a good start to getting patients more information....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 22, 2011

Pilot projects testing the Direct Project health information exchange protocol remain on track, with project officials estimating wide industry use of Direct in 2012.


But more detail on how the average healthcare provider would use the exchange servic....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 13, 2011

Without a doubt, the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS will impact patient care and revenue. Whether that impact is positive or negative, however, comes down to the quality of the training that organizations provide their clinical and coding staff.


Omar Ros....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 01, 2011

This is a true story that occurred recently in Indiana. Failing to collect payment for treatment, a medical group sent a patient to collections. In providing the unpaid bills to the collections attorney, practice staff failed to redact sensitive information. When the attorney filed the bil....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

All good plans begin with an assessment of the here-and-now. A first step for any organization mapping its transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS is an assessment of the upgrade’s impact on current systems that use ICD codes. Understanding that impact is the start of all othe....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 13, 2011

In April 2010 the Georgetown University Consulting Team conducted a series of interviews with six hospital networks that had gotten an early start on their ICD-10 transitions. Researchers asked the hospitals about their approaches, priorities, and early experiences....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: May 04, 2011

Since it was planted 30 years ago, the ICD-9 code set has grown roots deep into the healthcare system. Within individual organizations and enterprises, those roots can reach into nearly every department and function.


Upgrading to ICD-10 thus requires....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 21, 2011

Within the recently proposed rule on accounting of disclosure, the Office for Civil Rights summarizes a 2010 request for information it issued to the providers, payers, and consumer groups. The feedback it received offers an insight into provider and consumer exper....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 12, 2010

In a cancer patient’s darkest hour, patient navigator Mary Nespor, RHIA, is there to help.


Piloting the complex healthcare system—doctor appointments, medications, insurance forms—can be a daunting task for a patient, especially those facing serious i....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 19, 2012

The flurry of activity on HIPAA transaction standards continues.


The Department of Health and Human Services published an interim final rule for standards on electronic funds transfers (EFTs) and electronic remittance advice (ERA) on January 10. Manda....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: May 01, 2012

Health information exchange is about more than just connecting providers for the electronic transfer of records. Direct financial benefits can also result from this exchange.


Accountable care organizations (ACOs), which incentivize competing providers....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: May 30, 2012

Debate has followed the proposed delay of ICD-10, with the healthcare industry arguing whether the call to push back compliance to Oct. 1, 2014 was a political move aimed at appeasing powerful sectors of the healthcare industry or a necessary action to give a strug....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Data and information governance practices have been recognized by industry thought leaders as the future of the HIM profession. As healthcare continues to implement electronic health record systems and other health IT, the importance of health information as a clinical....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 01, 2009

“No” is a common word heard by PPE coordinators.


Getting busy HIM professionals to host an HIM student for a professional practice experience can be a challenge. As important as the internships are in giving students real-world experience, PPE coordin....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: November 17, 2008

Healthcare is badly in need of some cost-savings. A new study suggests that a change in the way we keep health records could save billions. Last week the industry got a look at a cost-benefit model for personal health records. According to the report, widespre....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 12, 2009

Physicians seeking to transform their primary-care practices are seeing increasing support for the patient-centered medical home model. Growing recognition from payers and new help with the transition are advancing the model as a viable future for primary care.

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: July 22, 2008

Clinical documentation improvement programs can enhance the clinical record and capture lost reimbursement. But they can be a challenge. Getting physician buy-in, avoiding turf wars between documentation specialists, coders, and nurses, and measuring program succes....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 30, 2009

Washington State’s experiment in consumer-controlled health records has moved into a pilot phase, transforming the health record banking model from theory to testing. Earlier this month the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) announced the launch of three....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: December 18, 2008

PCASSO—the Patient Centered Access to Secure Systems Online project—was an early trailblazer in using the Internet to give patients and providers instant access to medical records. The project started in 1996, a time when most people considered the Internet an unse....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2011

Last year 82 community colleges launched health IT training programs in a hurry. After a slow and sometimes bumpy start, the programs are picking up steam and the students are graduating. Now comes the next test: are the jobs out there?

Frank Lillo knew his field was changing, and he....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2009

Although the federal government has stepped in to give healthcare a push into the digital age, some providers remain hesitant, spooked by antiquated and ambiguous state laws that still identify paper records as the legal standard.

Their confusion is delaying their transition to elect....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2010

Lawsuits, lobbying, and legislation are holding up enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft prevention law.

The Red Flags Rule has been all bark and no bite since the federal regulation was published in November 2007. More than two years and four postponements la....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2010

The federal government is creating a stripped-down version of the nationwide health information network to aid the meaningful use program. What does it mean for HIEs?

Simple is not a word typically associated with electronic health information exchange. For years, the act of sending....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

Some in the healthcare industry feel electronic health record (EHR) systems are a miracle cure for what ails a US healthcare system plagued with bloated costs, an inability to communicate, and stunted growth in the use of advanced tools. There are still others who equate some of the promis....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2011

It is hard to say just what patient-centered care is, but just about everyone agrees that we lack it. The meaningful use program has focused providers, vendors, and consumer advocates around some basic first steps.

This January the meaningful use program began, and with it launched a....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2007

Clinical documentation improvement programs are growing, moving some HIM professionals to the clinic floor.
With sharp eyes, clinical documentation specialist Sharnetha White calmly combs through a patient’s chart. She isn’t fazed by the organized chaos that surround....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2009

Health IT won’t advance far without resolving the complex issue of privacy protections. Can a complicated situation be teased apart thread by thread?

The debate on privacy has become very public.

Privacy advocates, health IT advocates, providers, HIM professionals, fe....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2008

Tomorrow’s HIM jobs are arriving today, as technology transforms how we capture, manage, and use information. Following are 11 jobs that represent evolving roles and emerging opportunities. Some are familiar roles with a new twist. Others are new roles, and some are possibilities. All ar....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2008

When people face a big change, they often call a friend for advice. It’s natural to seek out those who have experienced a similar transition.

Many questions surround the implementation of ICD-10 in the US. Besides the big question of when the classification system will be requir....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2010

In 2008 The National Quality Forum (NQF) created a health IT division that, in part, hopes to simplify what it takes to abstract quality measurement data from electronic health records. HIM professionals are among those serving on the workgroups.

The division was developed in respons....