HIM Briefings

Revenue cycle leaders, including HIM professionals, are aware that a patient billing or collection problem can destroy what had up to that point been an exceptionally positive clinical experience. With the ever-expanding reach of social media, a patient who is dissatisfied with a billing or collection problem may be more likely to share that problem with others rather than sharing private details about clinical problems.

In 2008, only 11% of respondents to an Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS) poll indicated their clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs either reviewed outpatient records for documentation improvement opportunities or were looking to expand into outpatient areas (8% and 3% respectively).

The April 1 confirmation of the delay in implementing the ICD-10 code set certainly took the wind out of many healthcare organizations' sails. Those organizations spent countless hours and dollars preparing for the go-live date that was six months away.

It's no secret that the scope of HIM is expanding, so one would assume that compensation for HIM directors and managers is on the rise but this may not be the case.

Implementing a patient portal is at the top of the list for many organizations working toward attestation for Stage 2 Meaningful Use of EHRs under CMS' EHR Incentive Programs.

My column in the April MRB addressed unexpected disruptions for HIM managers and the importance of backup plans?quite timely because the ICD-10 implementation delay was announced just before the newsletter was published.

Provider-based clinics and departments are increasingly common at hospitals, but the rules for provider-based qualification and billing can often be confusing.

Have you considered seeking clarifications after a Joint Commission survey for the Record of Care (RC) Requirements for Improvement (RFI)?

Q: The hospital where I work entered into a business associate agreement (BAA) that requires the business associate (BA) to notify us of a potential breach no more than 60 days after it is discovered.