Editor's note: MRB is celebrating its 25th year in 2011, and each month we're bringing you special content. This month we've reached out to our editorial advisory board members and columnists for their advice on topics such as ICD-10, EHRs, and department management. We received so much information that we're putting together a compilation to release at the AHIMA annual convention in October in Salt Lake City-be sure to find us in the exhibit hall for your free copy. We'll also make it downloadable for all MRB subscribers after the conference. In the meantime, read on for a taste of what the board members had to say.
The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER), distributed either quarterly or annually depending on the type of facility, contains large amounts of data on how a facility compares to others in the same state, the same jurisdiction (i.e., the same Medicare Administrative Contractor), and nationwide in terms of coding and medical necessity target areas. (Find out more at www.pepperresources.org.)PEPPER identifies when facilities are outliers in their reporting of multiple risk areas. For coding, those areas are:
According to a survey on coder productivity published in the May edition of MRB, 83% of those with remote coding programs reported that coder productivity either remained the same or increased after a remote coding program was implemented at their facility. That's great news for those considering establishing a remote coding program. And there are many reasons to do so, both for your coding staff and for your hospital.
