Hospitals, health systems, and long-term care facilities are being challenged by census workers requesting information about patients and residents to conduct an accurate census. Some have gone as far as stating that they have a right to access hospital electronic health records (EHR).
Q: When would you use the ICD-10-CM codes for opioid or marijuana use when no mental, behavioral, or other disorder is connected? I’m specifically thinking of codes F11.90 (opioid use, unspecified, uncomplicated) and F12.90 (cannabis use, unspecified, uncomplicated).
As organizations respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number are turning to telemedicine to safely meet patient demand. “The current crisis is expanding people’s willingness to shift the paradigm both on the provider and patient side,” says Diane Iverson, RN, BSN, BS, ACM, CCM, a Baltimore-area case manager. “Systems are gearing up to expand services rapidly.”
Q: Regarding patient portals, to what degree is it the individual’s responsibility to keep his or her health information private? Would the healthcare organization be liable if someone else obtained the individual’s login credentials—perhaps if the individual is known to use the same password for many applications—and accessed the records?
Clinical validation reviews and queries ensure that the documented diagnoses and clinical indicators hold up to inspection. Use these strategies to head off clinical validation reviews and improve documentation.
