It's December, the end of a long 2012 for you and your HIM staff. Whether you have 50 coders or five, you may be putting the final touches on an end-of-the-year celebration.
The monetary reward offered through the second stage of the Medicare and Medicaid incentive program shouldn't be the only reason HIM professionals embrace the concept of being "meaningful users" of certified EHR technology (CEHRT).
Editor's note: The following scenario is provided by Laurie A. Rinehart-Thompson, JD, RHIA, CHP, assistant professor of clinical allied medicine in the School of Allied Medical Professions at Ohio State University in Columbus. Present the scenario portion to your HIM staff to see how they would handle the issue.
Coding accuracy in postoperative complications impacts a facility's Medicare claims profile, error rate, and physician profiles on hospital watchdog websites that monitor performance.
Coders need to code. This much you know. But with the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS occurring perhaps as soon as October 1, 2014, they'll need to know a bit more than just raw coding. Now is a good time to review and update current coding descriptions, procedures, and job titles to streamline and reengineer your coding team's work flow, says Luisa DiIeso, RHIA, MS, CCS.
