Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2015

Sometimes there’s value in thinking big and starting small.

That idea might be of some comfort to AHIMA members who want to take up the banner for information governance (IG) but who find it hard to know where to begin.

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2015

Sometimes the way to measure how far you’ve come is to look back at where you’ve been. With all the discussion of consumer engagement in healthcare these days, I like to look back at one of AHIMA’s earliest ideas about how HIM’s role might evolve with regard to work....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2016

On April 19, 2017, the industry will learn the winner of the HeroX CHIME National Patient ID Challenge, aiming to ensure that every patient is identified correctly every time. As a judge of this competition, I’ve found it fascinating to participate in the process.


I ha....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2016

This month, AHIMA celebrates our fourth annual Information Governance (IG) Month. AHIMA created this event to increase awareness and understanding of IG and to help members understand IG’s importance to HIM practice. You’ll be seeing more details about IG Month in our publicati....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2016

In May the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) released a Data Brief describing the state of interoperability among non-federal acute care hospitals in 2015.1 The report looks specifically at four “domains” of interoperability: the ability for health systems....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2016

“What does the future of HIM look like?” We have been asking this question as long as our association has existed. In recent memory, our work to answer this question unfolds from “Vision 2006” to “Reality 2016.” The latest iteration is “HIM Reimagi....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2017

As I write this column, a new federal administration is taking shape in Washington, DC, and its future impact on healthcare regulation is unclear. In uncertain times, it’s helpful to remember a bright spot: We are beginning to get a grip on the importance of data.


For....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2017

For many years, AHIMA has been advancing a potential role for HIM professionals as facilitators for consumers and their health information. Electronic health records, mobile apps, and patient portals all impact the consumer experience.


As an industry, we have made progress&md....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2017

A recent story in the Chicago food blog Eater detailed some of the ways automation is changing the food industry: from sushi served on a conveyor belt to touch-screen beer orders and “pour your own” wine bars. There are even “automated restaurants” that are essentia....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2017

“Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?” This thought-provoking question resonated with me as I was thinking about the issues of education, evolution, and progress. Fast Company magazine cofounder Bill Taylor describes this question as “a defining challenge of....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

In 1941, author Edna Huffman, writing about the management and storage of medical records, introduced readers to “the newest development in storage methods and the method that will conserve the greatest amount of space, known as microphotography.” She described how medical reco....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2017

Is the future of healthcare in the hospital? Probably not.


Bernard Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest health systems, recently noted that in 2016 Kaiser provided more than 100 million primary care encounters. Of those, Tyson said, 52 percent o....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2015

The AHIMA archives contain a few examples of long-ago medical records, including a sample admission slip from 1916—nearly a century ago. As fascinating as these artifacts are, we know that the tools we use to do our jobs today will seem just as outdated some day.


Consid....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2015

At AHIMA's 2014 Annual Convention and Exhibit, held in San Diego, CA, National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, announced that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) was in the process of refreshing its federal health IT strategic plan for the next....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2015

Looking for some help around the house? Proponents of what has become known as the “Internet of Things” have been developing products that will do just that. For instance, the winners of the 2014 Internet of Things Awards represent a tempting array of Internet-connected product....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2016

Late last year, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Karen DeSalvo challenged an audience at the Bipartisan Policy Center to commit to a future where consumers can easily and securely access their health information; where providers share health information for care with....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2017

HIM professionals are great planners. We love a well-defined process, a policy, a workflow. These are useful tools and they help us in the routines of daily work. When we’re planning our association’s direction, the big picture strategy is no less important. Accordingly, AHIMA....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2016

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much,” said Helen Keller. This quote was part of Keller’s vaudeville circuit speech, but the sentiment holds true for those of us in the spotlight of HIM.


Our goal is to tell the patient’s story accurat....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2015

We must transform healthcare into a data-driven culture… because that’s where our bosses are headed.


A recent issue of Hospitals & Health Networks cited data analytics as one of the top skills that will be most critical in the next three years for healthcare....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2015

Collaboration is what we’re all supposed to be doing these days. But sometimes it’s easier said than done. It can be easy, for instance, to collaborate with those in your department, with your fellow birds of a feather. But it can be more difficult to collaborate across departm....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2017

In the HIM world, we have a catchphrase: “If it’s not documented, it’s not done.” This phrase has even more resonance as we consider the importance of clinical documentation improvement (CDI), the focus of this month’s Journal issue.


CDI emphasi....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2014

As data becomes central to the process of providing healthcare, HIM finds itself at the center of everything.


This rang true to me earlier this year, when the American College of Healthcare Executives released the findings of its annual survey of hospital CEOs, asking them to....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2012

In our profession, it all comes down to trust. Patients place their trust in us as HIM professionals to ensure that their information is safe, secure, and accurate, and that it will be accessible in the right place at the right time.


It’s often an unspoken pact, someth....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2012

Who doesn't appreciate the things that simplify our lives? Whether we find ways to shorten our commutes to work or clear the clutter out of our homes and offices, simplification gives us the time we need to pursue the things that give us the most pleasure-time with family, friends, and c....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2012

Nat "King" Cole used to sing about the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer." Today, most of us are working through summer days that are neither lazy nor hazy (although unfortunately, sometimes they're crazy). But August can also be a time to stop and reflect about where we are going, in our....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Amelia Earhart made headlines as the first woman passenger on a transatlantic flight. Herbert Hoover was elected president. And ordinary peoples’ lives would be changed by the discovery of penicillin and the sale of the first pre-sliced loaf of bread.


That was the scene....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2012

It’s time for HIM to come out of the basement. I'm not talking about relocating our offices. I’m talking about coming out of the mental bunkers where many of us have hunkered down, hoping the onslaught of changes will blow over.

A Call to Action


I am insp....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2014

Almost 10 years ago, President George W. Bush did something remarkable. He set out a grand plan for electronic health records (EHRs).


“Within 10 years, every American must have a personal electronic medical record. That’s a good goal for the country to achieve,&r....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2012

"Medical Record Breach at Stanford Hospital: 20,000 Exposed," "Texas Data Breach Affects Medical Records of 4.9 Million Patients," "Hospital Records Breach Involves 93,500 Patients"-these were just some of the headlines we saw in 2011 when privacy breaches and data security incidents invol....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2014

“The first job of a leader—at work or at home—is to inspire trust. It’s to bring out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardships, and to create an environment in which high-trust interaction inspires creativity and possibility.”

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2013

THIS YEAR MARKS the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.


As I write, the industry is currently deciphering the implications of a new law-the changes to the rule wrought by the Health Informati....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2014

For AHIMA, 2014 has been the year of information governance (IG).


From Information Governance Month in February to this month’s 86th Convention and Exhibit, AHIMA has been breaking new ground in exploring, understanding, and making recommendations for IG in healthcare o....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2014

January is always a time for reflection, and I find this year to be no exception. As poet T.S. Eliot wrote in Four Quartets: “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language; and next year’s words await another voice.” Like Eliot, I’m waiting to hea....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2013

What a difference a decade makes.


This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the publication of AHIMA’s landmark report, “A Vision of the e-HIM Future.” Back then, AHIMA convened a group of industry, academic, and government representatives to identify what....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of AHIMA’s President and Board Chair, Kathleen Frawley, JD, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA. Kathleen first became a member of AHIMA in 1972, and in over 40 years of service worked in various roles while striving to lead the HIM profession through....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2014

It started with the Civil War.


When we think of the False Claims Act (FCA) today, headlines of healthcare billing fraud and abuse settlements may come to mind. But the Act actually goes back to 1863, when the US government found itself ill-served by contractors who were selli....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2012

The first day of school. The day of your wedding. The first day of a new job. Each of these are big, memorable dates that first loom on calendars and then linger long in memory.


For many of us in the HIM profession, October 1, 2013, was a red-letter day too-the original impl....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2012

“Evolution” and “change” are two words that come to my mind when I think about how the move to electronic health records (EHR) has altered the nature of the work we do. AHIMA has been talking about this change for as long as I can remember. But now it’s happen....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

Would you want to have a $250,000 physical? Of course not. But entrepreneur and futurist Michael Vassar is betting that some people will.


Vassar was featured in a recent New York magazine article where he described his new venture, MetaMed, which seeks to use data analysis t....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2012

What a concept. The idea that healthcare providers should be able to exchange health information to improve delivery of care-it seems like it's always been with us. But the reality is that health information exchange (HIE) is a relatively new phenomenon.


Although most aren't....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2013

Starting a new year is like starting a long journey. Before I set out, I want to make sure I have a plan. What’s the destination? Where’s the map? What provisions will we need? How will we get started?


Similar questions came to mind as I read this month’s co....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Sometimes progress starts with a single step. Last summer, the AHIMA staff participated in an intra-company walking challenge. Volunteer participants signed up to wear a pedometer and track how many steps they took. We tracked our totals weekly, and watched the steps and miles stack up. Af....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2014

Have you heard of the Conversation Project?


Started by journalist Ellen Goodman, the Conversation Project provides tools and resources to families to have conversations about end-of-life wishes—including a starter kit that contains probing questions for families to exp....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2015

As I write this column in November, I hope that the autumn’s top healthcare story, Ebola, will be out of the headlines by January. But the emergence of the disease in the United States in 2014 gave many people in the health IT community pause, particularly the initial misdiagnosis in....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2014

Have you ever driven a car using a global positioning system? If so, you’ve heard what happens when you take a turn that’s not on the system’s expected route: an annoyed-sounding voice will say “Recalculating!”


Since early April, the entire healt....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2012

What do people dread the most? It should come as no surprise to learn that, for many of us, public speaking is near the top of the list of most-feared activities.

No matter how competent or confident we are in fulfilling our personal and professional duties, it's normal to feel appr....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

ONE OF MY father’s favorite sayings was: “Shoot for the moon. If you only get to the stars, it’s better than never having gone at all.”


It’s a saying that kept coming back to me as I was getting ready to write this column for the Journal issue o....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

Where were you in the late 1990s? Maybe you were watching “Seinfeld.” Maybe you were doing online stock trading with “irrational exuberance.” And maybe you were looking into “the Year 2000 problem” or what simply became known as “Y2K.”

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2012

The future of coding is here. It hasn't disappeared, but the progress of electronic health records, computer-assisted coding (CAC), and other technological change is altering the way coding is done.

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2014

For years, pundits have been pointing to the popularity of social media and reality TV, bemoaning the “end of privacy.”


But for HIM professionals, after a decade that started with the implementation of the HIPAA rules and culminated in the rules’ augmented....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2016

As we focus on education and workforce issues, there’s good news and bad news.


The good news is: The employment outlook for HIM professionals is bright. According to AHIMA’s 2016 Environmental Scan report, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the H....

Author: Gordon, Lynne Thomas

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2016

Recently, the New York Times ran a provocative opinion piece that called for increased use of patient data for research purposes. “When I explain to my own patients what can be done with their medical information for the greater good in research, nobody has ever said to me ‘don....

Author: Gorton, Elisa R.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2012

Mental health and substance abuse records are generally recognized as containing "sensitive" protected health information (PHI) in need of privacy and security measures above and beyond what is required by HIPAA. There was a time when this sensitive PHI was kept separate and apart from a patie....

Author: , Gottehrer Gail; Hedges, Ron

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2019

By Gail Gottehrer, JD, and Ronald J. Hedges, JD


The seemingly daily announcements of cyberattacks and data breaches underscores the need for effective information governance (IG), particularly in the healthcare industry.


Consider a situation in which a healthcare pr....

Author: Gradle, Brian D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

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


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

Author: 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: Graham, Gail; Nugent, Linda; Strouse, Kathleen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2003

How does the nation's largest integrated healthcare system manage health information? Here, learn how HIM professionals helped the Veterans Health Administration take advantage of EHR technology to improve care.
Think of a healthcare system with 163 medical centers, more than 850 ambulato....

Author: Graham, Judith

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 1997

Introduction
The Foundation for Accountability (FACCT) is an independent, not-for-profit organization representing major consumer groups and large purchasers of healthcare. Its mission is to help consumers make healthcare choices based on quality. FACCT's core work consists of (1) creat....

Author: Gray, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2001

Without e-mail, Holly Ballam’s duties as privacy officer and physician liaison director for Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA, would be nearly impossible to manage. Working from home on maternity leave, Ballam, an RHIA, is responsible for suspending physicians wh....

Author: Grebner, Leah A.; Mikaelian, Raymound

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2015

Health information management (HIM) professionals are familiar with mobile health (mHealth) technologies from a provider perspective, but technology has provided the ability for healthcare consumers to also utilize mHealth to become more actively engaged in managing their personal healthc....

Author: Grebner, Leah A.; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: November 2005

The term coagulopathy can be confusing for coding professionals because it may refer to a myriad of conditions that are classified differently in ICD-9-CM. Take for example a patient who has bleeding somewhere (e.g., hematuria or epistaxis). The physician lists “coumadin coagulopathy&rd....

Author: Greenberg, Marjorie S.; Jones, Judith Miller

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 1997

Although health data standardization has become highly visible in the US during 1996, the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) has been working toward greater standardization of health information since its inception nearly 50 years ago. Established in 1949 in response to....

Author: Green, Deborah

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 22, 2015

The results of the AHIMA-Cohasset Associates second survey on IG in Healthcare are showing definite traction for information governance (IG) in healthcare. While the focus was professional readiness, we heard from 1,260 professionals working in healthcare and learned from them about the ad....

Author: Green, Deborah

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2019

By Deborah Green, MBA


Everything that is done in healthcare revolves around data and information. From new sources of data to new technological advancements, the drivers and needs for solid information management have not only grown but have become reinforced by and intertwin....

Author: Greene, Adam H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2012

The HIPAA privacy and security rules need not act as an obstacle to efficient communications, but keeping texting compliant requires planning and diligence.

Text (or SMS) messaging has become nearly ubiquitous on mobile devices. According to one survey, approximately 72 perce....

Author: Greene, Adam H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2011

Now Is the Time to Review Security Policies and Procedures

In June 2011 the Department of Health and Human Services awarded KPMG a $9.2-million contract to create an audit protocol and audit organizational compliance with the HIPAA privacy and security requirements.1 The co....

Author: Greene, Adam H

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2016

In 2009, CONGRESS passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which granted individuals a right to have a copy of their records sent to a third party, according to 42 U.S.C. § 17935(e) of the regulation.


Unfortunately, many attorn....

Author: Green-Shook, Sheila

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2009

Many organizations are investing in a variety of secure-access Web portals, such as portals that give providers access to patient records and employee portals that allow staff the opportunity to work remotely. Patient portals offer consumers the ability to e-mail securely with physicians, comp....

Author: Green-Shook, Sheila

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 1999

An HIM career in managed care opens doors not only in healthcare but in our evolving electronic age. This is an exciting time to pursue such a career choice because of the seemingly infinite number of opportunities and challenges this environment presents and will continue to present.....

Author: Green-Shook, Sheila; Quinsey, Carol Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2007

In organizations with paper records, it is difficult—if not impossible—to determine whether records were looked at for any purpose, much less when carrying out job duties. However, electronic health record (EHR) systems have the capacity to electronically capture who has accessed w....

Author: Green-Shook, Sheila; Quinsey, Carol Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2006

Group Health Cooperative (GHC) is an integrated healthcare system with 29 primary care clinics, four specialty centers, two hospitals, 10,000 employees, and 700 physicians. GHC serves 540,000 patients across Washington state and northern Idaho.

In 2003 GHC began implementing an elec....

Author: Gregg, Cheryl A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2000

The long-awaited Draft Model Compliance Guidance for Small and Individual Physician Practices was published by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in early June.1 The OIG received 83 comments from outside sources, including AHIMA, after publishing a request for information and reco....

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: Grocela, Joseph; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2004

Fewer than five years ago, ICD-9-CM contained just one code for classifying hyperplasia of the prostate. Today, there are nine ICD-9-CM codes in category 600, Hyperplasia of prostate. What is hyperplasia, and why have so many changes been made to this code category in recent years?

....

Author: Gronek, Julie A.; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2005

Decubitus ulcers, commonly called pressure sores or bedsores, may range from a mild discoloration of the skin, which disappears in a few hours after repositioning, to a deep wound extending into the bone, which requires resource-intensive wound management.

Though the code for decubi....