HIM directors must renew efforts in the new year to ensure the effectiveness of EHR quality monitors. With increased attention on HIPAA 5010 requirements and instituting ICD-10, focusing on the quality of your medical records may sometimes take a backseat to other priorities. However, as inaccurate data tends to affect all areas of HIM-not to mention patient care-taking an active role in developing quality measures will ultimately save time and money in the long run and help ensure quality care for patients. Developing a plan for managing data integrity before issues occur will free up time for HIM staff to focus on other initiatives.
The death of an infant at an Illinois hospital made national news in June 2011. Genesis Burkett passed away due to a series of errors tied to human use of the hospital's EHR systems. (The infant was born prematurely to parents who had been trying to conceive for years, and had thrived after months in neonatal intensive care until he was killed by a massive sodium chloride overdose. (You can read more about the case in the Chicago Tribune at http://tinyurl.com/8xtdqrp.)
Editor's note: In honor of the holidays, we asked our "MRB Talk" members to send us their HIM holiday wishes. From funny to serious, we hope that each one of your wishes is answered for you in the coming year. And to all of our readers, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and a wonderful new year. Now, read on to find out what your colleagues are wishing for this holiday season, and, as always, if you aren't a member of the listserv but would like to be, feel free to e-mail me at akraynak@hcpro.com.
