Patient care continues to move from the inpatient setting to outpatient. With this change, the challenge of securing comprehensive documentation that articulates the services rendered and the patient care provided now needs to extend across the care continuum.
Outsourcing some HIM functions is common at many organizations. The decision might initially be spurred by staffing shortages or budgetary concerns, but many outsourcing arrangements become long-term projects.
While healthcare professionals are optimistic about potential benefits of data analytics, many find electronic health record systems have had a low return on investment, according to a survey by analytics company Health Catalyst.
The new ICD-10-CM codes for FY 2018, effective October 1, 2017, represent significant changes in some of our documentation and coding practices. Review the changes to the FY 2018 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (the Guidelines), which must be embraced if our documentation, coding, and billing is to withstand compliance scrutiny from outside auditors and accountability agents.
A successful outpatient CDI program will be invaluable to an organization, but without a focus and plan the program can become overwhelmed and ineffective. HIM and CDI need to work closely together to identify the greatest areas of opportunity in the outpatient setting and ensure that goals are aligned throughout the continuum of care.
