Author: Bosanko-Cera, Roberta

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2011

The transition to ICD-10-CM has complex and far-reaching implications for a practice's workflow, technology, and reimbursement. Early assessment and planning will lead to success.

The transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS in 2013 will be a defining moment in healthcare, and the futur....

Author: Hyde, Linda A.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2010

In October 2008 a Journal article titled "HIM Jobs of Tomorrow" profiled 11 new and revised jobs representing changes in HIM.1 One of the jobs highlighted was health data analyst.

Data analysis is not a new role in HIM, but it has been evolving appreciably. In the two years since th....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2013

While stolen laptops and hacking of healthcare computer networks have dominated the headlines, healthcare privacy and security experts warn that covered entities are ignoring the risks posed by unsecured paper records.


In response to new additions to the Office for Civil Rights'....

Author: Gurrieri, Joseph J; Karban, Karen M

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2013

HIM professionals know the facts about ICD-10-CM/PCS. Achieving readiness is the number one IT concern among hospital and physician group executives.1 But there are costs to achieving a high level of preparedness—which some studies show can range in the millions of dollars for large....

Author:

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2019

A Report from AHIMA’s Coding Thought Leadership Council


By Anne Zender, MA


What does the future of coding look like? A panel of coding experts and health information management (HIM) professionals met in early June to answer this question and others.


T....

Author: Chernikoff, Lisa

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2012

Students and new professionals in health information management (HIM) have a bright future ahead of them in a growing industry. Now more than ever, there are unprecedented opportunities to excel in HIM and beyond. AHIMA's student membership is on the rise as a result of these exciting prospect....

Author: Campbell, Robert James

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2013

A 75-year-old man sits uncomfortably on an examination table as his physician informs him that he needs to get a colonoscopy. The patient, an ex-cop, barks at the physician, “Why after all these years do I need to get a colonoscopy?” The physician coolly responds, “With a....

Author: Eramo, Lisa A

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2013

The clock is ticking, and in only 16 months the healthcare industry will begin to use, process, and exchange ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) codes. Readiness varies throughout the industry, with some stuttering after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services delayed the ICD-10 implementation d....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2019

By Mary Butler


In the film The Farewell, Chinese-American actress and comedian Awkwafina plays a woman torn between two cultural approaches to death and dying when her character, Billi, learns that her grandmother has terminal lung cancer. Billi's grief is compounded when she....

Author: Clark, Jill S

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2012

Transitioning out of a 30-year-old classification system has many in the healthcare industry asking why. The expense, the implementation timeline, and the intent of the transition have all been questioned.

The truth is the implementation of ICD-10 CM/PCS will have a tremendous impac....

Author: Plimpton, Julie MSHI, RHIA, CPHI; Wickard, Amanda

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2019

By Julie Wulf Plimpton, MSHI, RHIA, CPHI, and Amanda Wickard, MBA, RHIA, CPHI


As with any journey, understanding where you started is the key to understanding where you are going. Those who have been in the health information management (HIM) industry for many years have seen rapi....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

The vinyl record is gone from music, and the paper record is exiting healthcare. But the music keeps coming-in fact, more of it, in smaller and smaller pieces. What does the future hold for that touchstone of health information management-the record?

Not that long ago, the music indu....

Author: Warner, Diana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2011

As facilities transition from paper to electronic records, HIM departments must review job functions and staffing models. EHRs enable automation and ease of access and affect how the HIM department operates.
From Clerical to Qualitative

In an electronic environment paper HIM fu....

Author: Long, Peri L

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: June 2012

Every generation has a few defining moments they can look back upon-big news events, clothing and fashion trends, hair styles, and maybe even a dance craze or two.

Today's healthcare industry is currently experiencing a defining moment of its own: preparations for the transition to the In....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2019

By Ty Greenhalgh, HCISPP


In 2014, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act required and incented hospitals to demonstrate “meaningful use” of an electronic health record (EHR). Hospitals, desiring to maintain existing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels and av....

Author: Kelso, Loya; Walker, Ruth

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2009

Much has been written on the importance of personal health records (PHRs), and many organizations offer them. But what do consumers think of the PHR concept? More importantly, what is the likelihood of them starting a PHR?

In 2008 an observational study attempted to determine the li....

Author: Barta, Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: May 2011

Many coding professionals will need to learn new terminology and brush up on their anatomy and physiology (A&P) knowledge to prepare for the ICD-10-CM/PCS transition. Although it is still too early for intense training on the new code sets, now is the time for coding professionals to gain....

Author: Carey, Susan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2019

By Susan Carey, MHI, RHIT, PMP, FAHIMA


Outsourcing, whether delegating work to companies within the US or to other countries (offshore outsourcing), has become a strategic consideration and business model in many areas of the healthcare industry, including healthcare IT, health in....

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: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2018

By Jill Burrington-Brown, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA

On July 26, 2017, Alex Wubbels, a nurse in the burn unit at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, was arrested in an incident that has since been viewed widely on video captured from police body cameras. She refused to let a police phlebotomist....

Author: Heubusch, Kevin

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2012

In a January 6 blog post, Farzad Mostashari, MD, national coordinator for health IT, summarized a busy year at his office, highlighting 10 of 2011's "most notable developments in the world of health information technology and ONC."

Among these were 62 regional health IT extension ce....

Author: Brooks, Patricia E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 1998

HCFA conducted a formal test of ICD-10-PCS (procedure coding system) in order to determine if it would be a practical replacement for the current ICD-9-CM, Procedures. This coding system was developed after an open competition contract was awarded to 3M/HIS. In order to avoid any con....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 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. In March the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) announced the launch of three pilot sites that will try out the....

Author: Traverse, Cheryl

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2008

Testing and monitoring access policy controls are critical best practices for all healthcare organizations. By testing and monitoring IT resources, perimeter security systems, and technical user activities, organizations can ensure service delivery, the protection of the resources that deliver....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2005

One of the principal ways the US government gathers information is testimony from public hearings. Testimony at federal hearings provides input to the committee or work group itself as well as the industry and public at large. This summer AHIMA was invited to testify on issues that directly af....