Ask the Expert

Q: Is it a HIPAA violation to receive a postcard from a facility regarding your mammogram, date, time, and instructions?

Q: How can a case manager match a patient with a care plan and help the patient meet planned goals?

My organization is trying to leverage our patient portal to help reduce workload. How should we approach this project?

Q: A physician performs wound debridement on a patient’s right foot, then applies bilateral, multilayer compression dressings to each leg. How should this be reported?

Q: A patch was installed within the EHR at my facility last week. While using the system this week, my coworker and I received an error message. Should we alert staff of this performance issue?

Our facility is looking into outsourcing our transcription. What should we consider before we make the leap?

Q: I work in a skilled nursing facility and would like to post the level of assistance needed and precautions on a dry erase board in patients’ rooms for nursing assistant use. Is this allowed?

What is a good strategy for sharing denials data with the medical staff to ensure they understand weaknesses?

What is the weakest/worst-case scenario for the structure of a case management department?

Q: Is it appropriate to query whether a pressure ulcer was present on admission (POA) if it was not documented until later in the admission?