Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: March 2016

AHIMA’s Information Governance Toolkit provides guidance that will assist in strengthening the healthcare organization’s performance related to managing information and data that is necessary for achieving strategic goals.  The toolkit, available in the AHIMA webstore, is free to AHIMA members.

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: 2016

This toolkit provides a wide variety of resources and tools for HIM and other healthcare professionals who are developing procedures to support the goals of a consumer engagement initiative.

Author: Combs, Tammy

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 24, 2016

Understanding clinical documentation improvement (CDI) metrics can be confusing, especially when you first start reviewing them.


Let’s dive a little deeper into the topic and take a closer look at some frequently reported CDI metrics and evaluate how these measures can reflect the....

Author: Combs, Tammy

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: January 27, 2016

When an architect draws up plans for a building, they pay close attention to the details of the foundation. This provides the support to the building and prevents it from crashing down at any moment. If the building later has structural damage it is easy to fix when the foundation is not i....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: January 2016

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the October 2013 Practice Brief titled "Managing Unsolicited Health Information in the Electronic Health Record"



Consumer engagement is developing as a key focus area in US healthcare, and patients are increasingly able&mdas....

Author: Maimone, Carol

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: January 2016

This practice brief supersedes the November 2013 practice brief “Data Mapping Best Practices.”


The healthcare industry collects vast amounts of data from electronic sources. These data are captured in a wide variety of formats using various collection methods. Health d....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: January 2016

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the August 2012 Practice Brief titled “Climbing Higher: Bridging the Gap to Advanced Degrees in HIM.”




Statistics from the US Department of Labor show the field of HIM as one of today's fastest-growing occupa....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: January 2016

Increased adoption and use of health information technology by healthcare providers has made greater consumer access to health information possible, as well as increased general engagement in health maintenance and care. The opportunities for improving quality and efficiency afforded by this ne....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 2015

The HIM Problem


To get physician buy-in on clinical documentation specificity, one provider formed an all-physician CDI team

The HIM Problem Solvers


Lorena Chicoye, MD, RPh, corporate medical director, managed care network development and medical....

Author: Endicott, Melanie

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 14, 2015

With the arrival of October 1, 2015 came the official rollout of ICD-10-CM/PCS. As such, there are likely more than a few healthcare organizations nationwide frantically working to cope with the new increased specificity that ICD-10 has to offer. Even after months (even....

Author: Keller, Megan E; Kelling, Sarah E; Cornelius, Douglas C; Oni, Hafusat A; Bright, David R

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: 2015

Abstract


One primary function of community pharmacies is to dispense medications to patients. In doing so, pharmacists frequently communicate with physicians’ offices to clarify prescription orders and obtain additional information to ensure the safe and accurate dispensing of med....

Author: Davoudi, Sion; Dooling, Julie A; Glondys, Barbara; Jones, Theresa D.; Kadlec, Lesley; Overgaard, Shauna M; Ruben, Kerry; Wendicke, Annemarie

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2015

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the July 2012 “Data Quality Management Model (Updated),” the March 1998 “Checklist to Assess Data Quality Management Efforts,” and the June 1998 “Data Quality Management Model” Practice Briefs.

Author: Downing, Kathy

Source: AHIMA blog post | Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 28, 2015

The Information Governance Principles for Healthcare (IGPHC™) created a high-level framework of good practice in information governance (IG) and most of 2014 was spent digging into these eight pillars. As AHIMA started work on the IG Maturity Model a new concept emerged. The idea of build....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: September 2015

This provider practice coding toolkit provides multiple tools and resources to help providers successfully navigate through the many changes in today’s healthcare environment.

Author: O'Dell, Rosann M; Belz, Norbert; Bielby, Judy A; Folck, Kay; Moqbel, Murad; Pulino, Lauren

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2015

A faculty member in the health information management (HIM) department at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) attended a campus retreat in June 2011 that not only energized his personal perspective of HIM, but also shed new light on the future of HIM at the university.

Author: Kadlec, Lesley; Kirby, Annessa; Shaffer, Heidi; Warren, Paula

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2015

As a nation, the United States has been focused heavily on engaging consumers in their overall health and wellness. This has been propelled by federal initiatives such as the “meaningful use” Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, mandated clinical quality measures based....

Author: Haugen, Mary Beth

Source: ICD-TEN Top Emerging News | AHIMA newsletter article

Publication Date: September 2015

Technically speaking, anything could happen once we flip the ICD-10 switch on October 1, 2015. That's why it's important to monitor key performance metrics closely in the first 30 days post-implementation. The days and weeks immediately following go-live will provide critical insigh....

Author: Bowen, Rita K.; Chestler, Alisa; Coomes, Donna; Dooling, Julie A; Fuller, Brenda; Grijalva, Christine; Kirby, Annessa; Kuehnast, Tanya; Stewart, Elizabeth

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2015

Policies and procedures govern the operations of health information exchange (HIE), and many factors must be taken into consideration during their development or revision. They set expectations for the workforce, delineate staff training and accountability, and must be part of an ongoing educat....

Author: Haugen, Mary Beth

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2015

Data integrity is at risk any time inaccurate information is entered into the patient health record, starting with the creation of the encounter in the registration process and continuing through the entire information lifecycle. Errors in the patient record can affect patient safety, cli....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: 2015

Author: Lusk, Katherine

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2015

With the October 1, 2014 date for prospective payment for inpatient pediatric Medicaid discharges looming, Children’s Health System of Texas identified an organizational need to reboot and formalize its clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program. The journey began with three co....

Author: Rizer, Milisa K; Kaufman, Beth; Sieck, Cynthia J; Hefner, Jennifer L; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: July 2015

Abstract


Electronic medical record (EMR) implementation efforts face many challenges, including individual and organizational barriers and concerns about loss of productivity during the process. These issues may be particularly complex in large and diverse settings with multiple s....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2015

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief supersedes the March 2007 [and March 2013] Practice Brief “Assessing and Improving EHR Data Quality.”


The United States-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported in 1999 that “at least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many a....

Author: Tyczkowski, Brenda

Source: Educational Perspectives in Health Informatics and Information Management

Publication Date: May 2015

Abstract


With the AHIMA Foundation’s establishment of new professional competencies for health information management (HIM) comes the opportunity to reimagine how lessons are presented to students. The use of unfolding case studies fosters a learner-centered classroom, where the s....

Author: Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2015

The call for HIM professionals to develop measures and metrics that guide HIM efforts is not entirely new. Linda Kloss, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, president of Kloss Strategic Advisors and former chief executive officer at AHIMA, discussed the importance of these measures in a Journal of AHIMA art....

Author: Zeiour, Collette; Twiggs, Mariela

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2015

With more than 1,000 large breaches of protected health information (PHI) on record, it’s not surprising that PHI disclosure management is currently top of mind for healthcare leaders.1 Many of these breaches have cost organizations between $1 million and $5 million in penalties, not to m....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 2015

For the uninitiated, information governance can be a somewhat abstract concept to explain and visualize. To help health information management (HIM) professionals grasp the importance of information governance—a set of principles designated to better organize and protect healthcare da....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2015

Accounts of mistaken identity, anecdotally at least, seem to happen to everyone at least once in the healthcare realm with both paper and electronic records. But in an increasingly electronic world employing electronic health record (EHR) systems and other health IT where patients ar....

Author: Hedges, Ron

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2015

AHIMA's Information Governance Principles for Healthcare (IGPHC), published in late 2014, can be seen as a set of best practices for litigation. Attorneys and litigation support personnel would do well to keep the activities outlined in these principles in mind when responding to litigati....

Author: Beckett, Barb; Downing, Kathy; Gillespie, Joe D; Waugh, Traci

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2015

Since its initial adoption the HIPAA Privacy Rule has granted individuals the right to request restrictions on the use or disclosure of their protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO), as well as for disclosures to family members and certai....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: February 2015

The HIM Problem


To improve the efficiency and productivity of its clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program, Baystate Health decided to train CDI specialists to work from home.


The HIM Problem Solvers


Walter Houlihan MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA, direc....

Author: Dover, Kayce; Phillips, Chloe

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2015

It’s a constant dilemma—new health information management (HIM) graduates struggle to find jobs because they lack experience, yet it’s difficult to get that coveted experience without having a job. Even despite an increasing demand for coders, many new graduates cannot find employers will....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: December 2014

Editor's note: This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here.

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: November 2014

The HIM Problem


North Shore-LIJ Health System, a group of 17 hospitals in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, NY, had been facing a coder shortage and wasn’t happy with the contract coders they were working with.


The HIM Problem Solver

Author: AHIMA Longitudinal Coordination of Care Practice Council E-HIM Strategy Team

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: November 2014

This practice brief supersedes the January 2011 “EHR Adoption in LTC and the HIM Value” practice brief.


Electronic health record (EHR) systems offer care, treatment, and communication opportunities for long-term care (LTC) facilities and their patients and residents. M....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: October 2014

The HIM Problem


Rural hospitals in Kansas are trying to cut the cost of outsourcing coding by starting the credentialing process in local high schools.


The HIM Problem Solver


Sherry Farrell, MBA, RHIT, HIM coordinator at Seward County Community College/....

Author: Potter, Brian; Morsch, Mark

Source: ICD-TEN Top Emerging News | AHIMA newsletter article

Publication Date: October 2014

A successful ICD-10 transition requires cooperation of providers, payers, and vendors. Working together, they can develop mutually beneficial solutions that help prepare for the transition and beyond.



An ICD-10 early adopter program launched in 2013 gave participati....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley; Warner, Diana; Washington, Lydia

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2014

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Laird-Maddox, Marsha; Mitchell, Susan B; Hoffman, Mark

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: October 2014

Abstract


As the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) increases, more opportunities are available for leveraging the system and the data to facilitate research. Historically, for patients enrolled in clinical research trials or studies, data have been documented in the medi....

Author: Empel, Sofia

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2014

Picture these scenarios: Jane’s role as health information management (HIM) director recently expanded to include her hospital’s non-clinical information such as human resources, legal, finance, and marketing. According to the senior leadership of John’s health insurance....

Author: Unger, Melissa D; Aldrich, Alison M; Hefner, Jennifer L; Rizer, Milisa K

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: October 2014

Abstract


Successfully reporting meaningful use of electronic health records to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can be a challenging process, particularly for healthcare organizations with large numbers of eligible professionals. This case report describes a successf....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: September 30, 2014

Suzanne Paone, MBA, DHA, and Dilhari DeAlmeida, PhD, RHIA, both professors at the University of Pittsburgh, presented a well-attended session on information governance (IG) Tuesday afternoon. The session, “Information Governance, Best Practices and Lessons Learned,” demonstrated how i....

Author:

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: September 2014

The compliance date for the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS is due to take effect on October 1, 2015. Currently, academic programs are in various stages of transitioning the classroom toward this new and long-awaited classification system. This practice brief is the third in a series addressing....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: September 2014

The content in this toolkit has been updated. More recent information is available here.

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2014

All data are not created equal and technology implementation alone is not enough to improve the healthcare provided to patients. Providers and organizations must be able to distinguish between an abundance of data, meaningful data, and integration of data. Healthcare organizations are challenge....

Author: Bower-Jernigan, Patricia L; Chenoweth, Ann; James, Jaime

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

The Affordable Care Act has been a catalyst for the transition to pay for outcomes. Through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center, dozens of new payment and service models have emerged that promise to deliver better care throughout the United States at a l....

Author: Kadlec, Lesley

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2014

The growing momentum of information governance (IG) initiatives in healthcare provider organizations raises many questions. What are the goals of information governance? Why have some organizations decided they need formal IG programs? How do healthcare organizations expect to benefit from....

Author: Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity; AHIMA

Source: External web site

Publication Date: July 2014

This resource kit provides a standardized approach to measuring, reporting, and improving documentation for patient safety and documentation accuracy when clinicians are responsible for document creation.

Author: Stanfill, Mary H; Hsieh, Kang Lin; Beal, Kathleen; Fenton, Susan H.

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: July 2014

Abstract


Coding productivity is expected to drop significantly during the lead-up to and in the initial stages of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation, now expected to be delayed until October 1, 2015. This study examined the differences in coding productivity between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-....

Author: Huff, Garry L.; Fee, James P; Clesi, Wendy; Perry, Joni; Rajappan, Melissa

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2014

Physicians are increasingly being utilized as advisors in various aspects of healthcare delivery. These include utilization review, quality resource management, and clinical documentation improvement. An effective strategy must be used to develop a physician advisor program in the area of....