Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2010

Meaningful use and pay-for-performance are shining a spotlight on quality measures. There are hundreds of measures in use, but most fall within three broad categories.

Just performing a healthcare service may not be enough to receive payment anymore. Increasingly, payers are ty....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Electronic systems do more than change processes. They change people, in both the way they conduct and view their HIM work.

That means reimagining roles and, for directors, serving as a sturdy bridge between the past and the future as the department restructures its work an....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2007

The electronic health record (EHR) system at Allina Hospitals and Clinics is more than just software and data to Amber Johnson, RHIA. As a manager on the Minneapolis, MN-based healthcare organization’s implementation team, Johnson knows firsthand the importance of the EHR system and how it pro....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

It's a long journey to ICD-10 implementation. Organizations that need directions-or a jumpstart-can use a new checklist to map out 10 milestones for the first leg of the journey.

Healthcare facility staff unsure how to start the conversion to ICD-10 now have a ready-reference road ma....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2009

Morbidity coders rarely see a mortality code. But for 10 years the National Center for Health Statistics has been busy compiling mortality data coded in ICD-10.


There are a thousand ways to die in this life, and the National Center for Health Statistics tracks every one of the....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2012

As news of the ICD-10 implementation delay sinks in, government, providers, and educators assess the impact.


"The ICD-10 deadline will not be delayed. October 1, 2013 will be the first day of its use. Prepare or get left behind."

This mantra had been repea....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2009

With seven physicians in her family, Sarah Keppen felt destined to go into healthcare. However, working directly with patients, needles, and other messy details never appealed to the 25-year-old.

While talking with her pediatrician mother about other healthcare careers, she learned o....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2012

It has been a decade since the first privacy officers took their jobs in response to the HIPAA privacy rule. A slew of changes since then have added more responsibility, required more skills, and demanded more time of them than anyone could have imagined.

When Nancy Davis, R....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2007

Chris Meyers, RHIA, had landed the job of her dreams as an e-HIM® enthusiast. A Phoenix medical network was opening a brand-new hospital and needed someone to help build a complete EHR from the ground up. Meyers jumped at the chance, becoming the administrative director of HIM/patient....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2007

The time had come in the physicians’ meeting to discuss HIM issues, and Wilson was in charge of bringing the room up to speed.

Wilson, then the coding quality manager at Charleston, SC-based Roper St. Francis Healthcare, was new to public speaking and training. For a moment,....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2008

Computer-assisted coding won’t eliminate the profession, but it will change it dramatically.

Mythily Srinivasan thought she was out of a job. Out with human coders, in with computer-generated coding. At first that seemed to be her facility’s master plan.

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2012

The annual AHIMA meeting took healthcare industry professionals to school on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code set.



The ICD-10-CM codes T39.016A (Underdosing of aspirin, initial encounter) and R42 (Dizziness and giddiness) would have come in handy at the 2012 ICD-10 Summi....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2010

The movement to give patients better access to and control of their health information is giving HIM a new customer: the patient. That requires a shift in both operations and culture.

HIM, MEET THE new patient.

While a simple release of information on paper might have once....

Author: Dimick, Chris; Sheber, Sarah

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 01, 2017

Editor’s Note: This post was updated on March 1, 2017 to reflect changes in laws and regulations that have taken place since this content was originally posted on March 1, for.


If you’ve never requested your medical records from your doctor or hospital before, the....

Author: Dingman, Barbara

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2001

The Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) attention to fraud and abuse has certainly changed the way hospitals and their vendors conduct business. For many years, it has been common practice for vendors to court their clients with gifts and outings to get their product purchased, 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: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2009

In 2008 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted 10 HIPAA security assessments in covered entities (CEs) nationwide. CMS’s stated purpose was not to identify flaws but to gain a true understanding of industry compliance with the HIPAA security rule.

CMS co....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2008

Although the HIPAA security rule went into effect in April 2005, the first security audit of a facility’s compliance with the HIPAA security rule did not take place until just last year. That audit was heard around the country, awakening every network, firewall, and security plan in exis....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2010

Data errors are inevitable, and they happen every day. Various types of errors can occur in electronic health records (EHRs), including errors in dates of service (DOS). DOS errors happen for a number of reasons, such as a user choosing the wrong encounter or entering the wrong date.

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2009

Editor's note: This article updates the February 2006 Journal of AHIMA column "Resources to Assist Physician Office EHR Selection and Implementation."


[Note: The links in this article were accurate at the time of publication.]




EHR Public and Priva....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

The electronic health record's promise of a paperless environment has been around for decades, but it has proven difficult to keep. Regardless of how an EHR is implemented or the phase of implementation, paper remains a staple of the health record for quite some time after conversion and, in m....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2009

Reports of data breaches involving portable devices last year ran the gamut from oversight to theft: a college of medicine professor gave away a personal computer containing protected health information, including photos of his patients, to friends; a flash drive containing Social Security num....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2007

Communications technologies such as mobile devices and e-mail have taken healthcare and its practice into uncharted territory. Now organizations can add to this list instant messaging, or IM. More and more businesses are using IM in their daily operations.

According to Ame....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2009

The electronic health record (EHR) has been a work in progress for decades. According to a 2007 American Hospital Association information technology survey, 68 percent of hospitals have a partially or fully implemented EHR.1

Today’s health information environment is made up of....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2008

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems are becoming more prevalent in healthcare. HIM professionals who serve as privacy or security officials within their organizations should be familiar with these systems and their role in obtaining and tracking patient information.
This articl....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

In the past several years cloud computing has gained substantial recognition. However, it is still a relatively new concept for those in the healthcare industry.

Before adopting cloud-based services or applications, organizations need to understand how cloud computing works, the typ....

Author: Diop, Karen

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

Publication Date: March 2016

We studied. We practiced. We prepared. We had extensions—first a year, then two. More time to practice. Then, at long last, October 1, 2015 arrived, bringing with it the much-anticipated new code sets ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. Despite much hand wringing and nay saying, the implementation....

Author: Diop, Karen

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

Publication Date: November 2015

Change has become a constant in healthcare. With the introduction of electronic health record (EHR) systems, core measures, the “meaningful use” EHR Incentive Program, value-based purchasing, and the ICD-10-CM/PCS code sets, the healthcare industry has been bombarded by wave after wave in....

Author: Dixon, Anne

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2012

The healthcare industry is on the cusp of changing the way providers communicate with their patients. Technology holds great promise in empowering patients to manage their health.


Patient portals are one way organizations can engage patients in their healthcare. They enable....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 1999

The integration of various clinical services into larger healthcare alliances or enterprises challenges the very basic managerial foundations of our healthcare industry. While senior managers and clinicians struggle to run their respective organizations or divisions following tradition....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 1999

As I travel the country meeting many of you, I am very curious about the diversity of jobs, skills, and settings in which you work. The creativity, independence, and resourcefulness that come with career redefinition fascinate me. All of us working under the umbrella of health informat....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 1999

It's hard to imagine that we are approaching the close of the twentieth century. As I examine my reaction to the start of this year, perhaps I speak for many of you in that I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I am filled with nostalgia for all of the events that affected my life growin....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2006

Healthcare’s successful transition to an electronic health record will depend upon a work force capable of innovating, implementing, and using health communications and information technology. A planned approach is needed to train clinicians and existing health information specialist....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 1999

In October, the 1999 AHIMA House of Delegates will consider a proposal to officially change the name of two AHIMA credentials. The proposal is the result of several years of analysis, member input, and review of more than 1000 potential certification titles, as well as the work of cons....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2003

Bioterrorism has become a real threat in the US and around the world. Is our public health system robust enough to handle the surveillance and reporting activities needed to protect citizens? Today, the answer is no. But efforts already in progress at local and national levels may be able to....

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: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 1999

This time of year may find us longing for a chair by a cozy fireplace or lounging on a sunny beach. When we find time for reflection, it's good to periodically reflect on ourselves and the image that we project as HIM professionals.

Authority Robert Camp defines benchmarki....

Author: Dixon-Lee, Claire

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 1999

On a trip to Dublin this spring, I met with several officers of the Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland. During this visit, we talked about health information management, finding common ground on topics like:
Year 2000 compliance
the need for clinical vocabulary....

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: Dixon-Lee, Claire; Tesch, Linde

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2012

CAHIIM Accreditation brings accountability to the Broad Realm of Health Information Education

The United States has set a goal to increase the number of college degree recipients by 2018 and has challenged academic institutions to ensure sustained attention to the quality of stude....

Author: Dolan, Marsha; Wolter, Julie; Heet, Rachel

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2010

More facilities are offering patients support in navigating the healthcare system, helping manage care in difficult times and assisting when low health literacy could present barriers to care.

Health information management professionals have long been involved in consumer....

Author: Dolan, Thomas G.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2006

By sweating the IT, ASPs offer providers an easier way to go digital. But providers should ensure they can get their data back when and how they want.
Say you've outsourced mission-critical applications to an application service provider (ASP). Everything goes well, but then something hap....

Author: Dolezel, Diane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2015

Database metadata provides a valuable roadmap for locating the structured data stored in healthcare databases. However, many electronic health information management (e-HIM) professionals do not possess the necessary basic understandings of where to find the metadata and how to use it afte....

Author: Dolezel, Diane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2015

The digital era of Big Data has generated a growing need for more electronic health information management (e-HIM) professionals who can assume the emerging role of data analyst.1 This new role requires learning how to analyze data and perform statistical calculations to support informed d....

Author: Dolezel, Diane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2015

The ability to generate timely, accurate reports is essential to quality management and clinical documentation improvement (CDI) efforts.1,2 Health information management (HIM) professionals’ knowledge of health record content is vital to CDI efforts to ensure the availability of acc....

Author: Dolezel, Diane

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2019

By Diane Dolezel, EdD, RHIA, CHDA


Healthcare organizations are at risk for data breaches as the number of healthcare data breaches continues to rise annually despite efforts to slow the upward trend. Since 2009, there were over 2,000 data breaches reported to the Department of Hea....

Author: Dolin, Robert H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2010

SNOMED CT is a comprehensive clinical healthcare terminology developed in part for use within electronic health records (EHRs) to enable a more complete record of care. According to the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO), the organization responsible f....

Author: Dolin, Robert H; Goodrich, Kate; Kallem, Crystal; Alschuler, Liora; Holtz, Patrice

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2014

Federal quality reporting initiatives are expected to improve our ability to measure the quality of care provided to patients. As Scottish mathematician and physicist Lord Kelvin said more than 100 years ago, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” Measurement, in tu....

Author: Doll, Barbara A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2005

In last month’s column we defined and described projects, portfolios, and project management. We identified the project manager’s role and the concept of a project life cycle. This month we will begin to discuss the nine project management knowledge areas. First we will look at how....

Author: Doll, Barbara A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2005

This month we complete our series by examining the Project Management Institute’s knowledge areas of human resource, communications, risk, and procurement management.
Leading Effective Teams

Human resource management involves making the most effective use of resources to m....

Author: Doll, Barbara A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2005

In previous columns we described early project steps, from developing the charter to creating the scope statement and work breakdown structure. This month we will look at the Project Management Institute’s knowledge areas of time, cost, and quality.
Time Management

Managin....

Author: Doll, Barbara A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2005

Part 1 of 4


As new technology spreads through healthcare organizations, traditional walls that divided departments are coming down. HIM professionals increasingly find themselves collaborating with IT and clinical colleagues to select, design, implement, test, and train staff on new....

Author: Donham, Greg W.; Mallia, Tony

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2006

An ambitious project offers lessons for the NHIN and illustrates core HIM issues in data exchange.
In response to the reported illnesses of Gulf War veterans, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) undertook an initiative to create comprehensive, lifelong....

Author: Don, Hardwick

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2018

Untitled Document




How to Ensure Proper PHI Disclosure Management Across an Enterprise


By Don Hardwick


Seawalls are built to both protect and sustain. The sea side of the wall withstands a constant barrage of ocean waves and....

Author: Don, Hardwick; Twiggs, Mariela; Braden, James H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2015

A mere two decades ago, healthcare providers didn’t face significant penalties for improperly disclosing protected health information (PHI). Since then, regulations surrounding the privacy and security of PHI have evolved to include strict requirements and corresponding steep financial pe....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2013

Many hospitals and physician practices in the Oklahoma City area have been actively involved in adopting and building an electronic health record (EHR) infrastructure to qualify and attest to the “meaningful use” EHR Incentive Program. Moore Medical Center (MMC), a 45-bed commu....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2012

For many years transcription and coding departments have been two separate and independent structures within health information management (HIM).


While these areas have always been interdependent regarding their need to share documentation, their technology platforms have op....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2013

In October 2012, AHIMA's Grace Whiting Myers Award was presented to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in recognition of excellence in health information management (HIM). This inaugural award focused on organizations who have demonstrated effective and innovative approaches....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: June 17, 2015

In my April post “Quality Data Starts With Us” I discussed the importance of identifying patients correctly the first time. I think of this as Step #1 in capturing quality healthcare data for our patients.


Step #2 is in a race with Step #1, and which comes out ahe....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 18, 2015

When “Data Revolution” was suggested for the title of this monthly column, I instantly thought of The Beatles (some of my favorite musicians) and their song “Revolution.”


You say you want a revolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world
<....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 15, 2015

This monthly column will highlight and discuss emerging trends and challenges related to healthcare data and its ever changing life cycle.



Identifying patients correctly the first time is where data quality begins. Think of yourself as a patient for a moment.....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 21, 2016

The cleanliness, integrity, and trustworthiness of our provider data is essential to remember at all times, even as focus shifts toward other important initiatives, such as working toward a better method of matching and identifying our patients.  When it comes to managing and governin....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2014

Data are the assets that healthcare relies upon to provide needed information for making decisions and ultimately, hopefully, improving patient care. The volume of data collected today is staggering and continues to grow with the advent of electronic health records (EHRs). The healthcare d....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

Transcription has always played an important role in HIM, but today it is taking on a new role in supporting the meaningful use program. Organizations are looking to leverage their transcription technology to capture structured data within their electronic health records (EHRs), a requirement....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

HIM professionals have a rich and proud history serving as custodians of the health record, with solid experience and knowledge in process, policy, and procedure surrounding the management and disclosure of health information. In the recent past, this information was confined to the inside....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2012

The meaningful use program is well under way, helping providers and organizations adopt EHRs to capture complete and comprehensive documentation. To qualify for incentives in stage 1, organizations have adjusted their documentation processes to meet certain objectives and measures and will con....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2011

Every organization approaches the transition to an electronic health record (EHR) differently, and completing the endeavor successfully hinges on multiple factors that include evaluating the organization's existing IT systems and planning for those components to become fully integrated.
....

Author: Dooling, Julie A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Health information exchange (HIE) continues to evolve and change, thanks in part to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), which has been encouraging new ways of exchanging and sharing health information that foster trust, drive efficiencies, and ultimately place the i....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Downing, Katherine

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

Positively identifying patients in myriad healthcare registration systems is no easy task. The process of capturing patient demographics and the structure behind data fields varies depending upon the technology, care setting, and organization’s preferences. Until standardized and uniform....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Fernandes, Lorraine M.; Kirby, Annessa; Kadlec, Lesley; Landsbach, Grant; Lusk, Katherine; Munns, Megan; Noreen, Neysa; O'Connor, Michele

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2016

In healthcare, matching patients accurately to their medical history across multiple care sites and among various sources of data has become increasingly important as healthcare data is shared across platforms. Additionally, as clinicians need to interact with third parties and provide car....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Fernandes, Lorraine M.; Kirby, Annessa; Landsbach, Grant; Lusk, Katherine; Munns, Megan; Noreen, Neysa; O'Connor, Michele; Patten, Melinda

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 06, 2016

A recent survey with AHIMA members revealed that over half of HIM professionals routinely work on mitigating possible patient record duplicates at their facility, and of those 72 percent work on mitigating duplicate records weekly. Contributing to the issue, less than half (47 percent) of....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Houser, Shannon H.; Mikaelian, Raymound; Smith, Clarice Pittillo

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2016

Are you a data-driven individual? Is your health information management (HIM) department focused on becoming data-driven or informatics-oriented?


Today’s data analytics and informatics-oriented organizations are the centerpiece of operations and strategic visioning&mda....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Kadlec, Lesley; Pruente, Megan; Ward, Maria; Woebkenberg, Jami; Butler-Henderson, Kerryn CHIA, FAHIMA; Ginn, Dustin MA, MHA, RHIA; Retallack, Donna RHIT; Young III, John RHIA, CHPS, CPHIMS, HCISPP

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2018

By Kerryn Butler-Henderson, CHIA, FAHIMA; Julie Dooling, MSHI, RHIA, CHDA, FAHIMA; Dustin Ginn, MA, MHA, RHIA; Lesley Kadlec, MA, RHIA, CHDA; Megan Pruente, RHIA; Donna Retallack, RHIT; Maria Ward, MEd, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P; Jami Woebkenberg, MHIM, RHIA, CPHI; and....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Overgaard, Shauna M

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 23, 2015

We can picture it now. Sitting at the desk, gazing at the computer screen as our minds are drawn into that special kind of bliss that can only be achieved through data of the highest integrity, relational consistency, and internal and external harmony. Yes, in those sweet moments all of th....

Author: Dooling, Julie A; Profitt, Karen

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 26, 2016

Searching for the quickest path to establish and access data “sources of truth” in your healthcare organization?


In the past, health information management (HIM) professionals were taught to maintain a patient’s health information in a central repository. The paper healt....