Author: Berry, Tracy Bennett

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1998

Successful benchmarking can create opportunities to improve performance through discovering best practices. The author offers an overview of benchmarking and best practices and how they apply to HIM—and ways to get started on your own.
Are you looking for a way to jump....

Author: Berkey, Tim

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 1998

As HIM professionals look for ways to become more competitive and achieve the best results, the importance of discovering best practices becomes more apparent. Here's how one team used a benchmarking project to provide specific best practices that reduced accounts receivable....

Author: Beebe, Michael

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: April 2001

Among the needs the CPT-5 Project addresses are changes to enhance the use of CPT by practicing physicians, managed care and other payer organizations, and researchers. The project has made recommendations for improvements in the structure and processes of the CPT codes with deliberate emphasi....

Author: Bedrosian, Dan; McCoy, Michael J.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2006

The RFP is a time-honored rite of vendor selection. But it has its drawbacks, and alternative strategies can offer advantages.
In the fast-changing world of health IT, vendor selection would seem to be a rare well-established procedure. But the traditional selection process has its pitfa....

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: Beckett, Barb; Beidler, Aurae; Halpert, Aviva M.; Davis, Nancy; Gorton, Elisa R.; McLendon, Kelly; Rose, Angela Dinh; Shindell, Roger; Tucker, DeAnn

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: January 2017

The toolkit you are trying to access is available to non-members for $99.95.
Click here to purchase.

Author: Bechert, Londa

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services in Indianapolis, IN, is a member of the Ascension Health network, a nationwide Catholic health ministry. The HIM department has centralized responsibility for the main campus (650 beds) in Indianapolis, the St. Vincent Carmel Hospital (65 beds), and mul....

Author: Bass, Deb

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2011

Every health information exchange must determine how it will gain consent from patients to share their information. The Nebraska Health Information Initiative chose opt out and with good communication and management has maintained a high rate of patient participation.

Even afte....

Author: Bartell, Laurie

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: September 23, 2002

Author: Barron, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2003

Can you imagine having to go to the fax machine every time you needed to send someone a message or document? Can you imagine if you had to write a letter and go through the process of “snail mailing” every time you wanted to reach out to someone professionally? True, the US Postal Se....

Author: Baron, Anne

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 10, 2001

Background

Beginning in 1997, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) started conducting annual audits of Medicare billing practices. These audit results estimated that Medicare had paid more than $23 billion in incorrect payments in 1996 and more than $20 billion in 1997.....

Author: Barbera, Linda

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2006

The hospice setting is no stranger to the challenges of transitioning from paper to electronic documentation. Ensuring that hybrid medical records provide complete and accurate documentation is a significant issue, particularly for reimbursement processes. In order for the documentation to prov....

Author: Ballam, Holly

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 1999

Information Security Program
XYZ Hospital
Effective Date      
         ..............................................................................................................................

1. Poli....

Author: Baker, Dixie B.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2003

If you've ever played phone tag with your doctor, you can appreciate the benefits of e-mail. But for all its advantages, provider-patient e-mail is not without challenges. Here's how to protect your organization.
The majority of Americans now consider e-mail and instant messaging preferred....

Author: Backman, Cecilia; Dolack, Susan; Dunyak, Denise; Lutz, Laurie J.; Tegen, Anne; Warner, Diana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2011

Social media has become an undeniable force, and its rapid, informal communication style represents both possibility and liability for healthcare organizations. Good policies and training help organizations pursue the benefits and mitigate the risks.

Social media refers br....

Author: Austin, Peg; Stanfill, Mary H

Source: Journal of AHIMA - Coding Notes

Publication Date: March 2001

Data quality has never been more scrutinized than it is today. Health Care Financing Administration rules and contractual obligations from various insurance companies complicate the notion of correct coding. At the same time, numerous trade associations publish coding guidelines that....

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: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2000

E-health experts nationally are hard at work developing guidelines for this rapidly growing industry. Recently, three sets of guidelines were issued—by an advisory committee to the Federal Trade Commission, by the Internet Healthcare Coalition (IHC), and by a group of information....

Author: Asmonga, Donald D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2000

The privacy of personal information on the Internet is a hot topic nationwide. Is an e-health code of ethics in order? AHIMA and several other organizations are offering guidance this spring to the industry's first attempt at one.

Together with the American Medical Informa....

Author: Aschettino, Lucia; Birnbaum, Cassi L; Crocker, Janice; Grebner, Leah A.; McNicholas, Faith C.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2013

Health information management (HIM) best practices state that it is important for HIM professionals to focus not just on the information but also on internal and external customers. Customers have varied, and ever-changing, needs that must be met by HIM professionals. Both internal and ext....

Author: Arrowood, Danita; Bailey-Woods, Linda; Barnette, Erin; Combs, Tammy; Endicott, Melanie; Miller, Jennifer

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: July 2016

This toolkit provides many of the necessary tools and documents needed for implementing and/or maintaining a robust CDI program.

Author: Apple, Gordon J.; Brandt, Mary D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2001

Now that the privacy regulations are here to stay, it’s time to conduct a HIPAA privacy risk assessment. Here’s a step-by-step approach to planning and conducting an assessment for institutions of all sizes.
Given the complexity of the HIPAA privacy regulations and the signifi....

Author: Anderson, Mark; Rodenbaugh, Barbara; Susztar, Chantel

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

Background

For years the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published critical guidance and communications for fiscal intermediaries, healthcare providers, contractors, and state agencies regarding requirements for the Medicare program. Most of these communications are....

Author: American Medical Association. Council on Medical Service

Source: Government (U.S.)

Publication Date: December 02, 1990

Approved by AMA Council on Medical Service 8/88

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Work, Mitch

Source: AHIMA

Publication Date: September 01, 2006

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Work, Mitch

Source: AHIMA

Publication Date: August 01, 2005

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Johns, Merida L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Depending on how you count them, there are anywhere from 20 to 60 new policies, procedures, forms, and other related documents required by HIPAA. Its training requirements specify that all members of the work force must be trained on policies and procedures with respect to protected health inf....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Brandt, Mary D.; Dougherty, Michelle

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2003

A nurse sits down at the computer to document in the patient’s electronic health record (EHR). To complete her SOAP note, she copies the text of another nurse’s entry to capture the patient’s subjective complaints and symptoms. She then goes to the lab system and intake-output r....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Brandt, Mary D.; Dennis, Jill Callahan

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Brandt, Mary D.; Callahan-Dennis, Jill; Didear, Kay; Frawley, Kathleen A.; Grant, Karen G.; Murphy, Gretchen; Okamoto, Carole; Fuller, Sandra R.; Smith, Cheryl M.; Dougherty, Michelle

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2001

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2006

A new study identifies the HIM best practices that influence revenue cycle management.
Revenue cycle management (RCM) has been defined as "all administrative and clinical functions that contribute to the capture, management, and collection of patient service revenue."1 RCM in hospitals is....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2003

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

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2003

Whether your privacy rule compliance efforts began two years ago or yesterday, you’re probably concerned about the April 14, 2003, implementation date. In this article, we’ll explore some of the ways you can make the most of the time remaining.

Don’t Skip the Assessm....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2003

Direct caregivers have long been concerned about balancing patient protections with “customer” relations: Who do you talk to and how much do you tell? This was an issue long before HIPAA, and has only become more complex with HIPAA. And while HIPAA provides guidance, there are still....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2003

What do members of your work force say when:

a patient asks what the notice of privacy practices is

an individual states that her mother already signed the notice of privacy practices

a physician office claims that authorization from the patient isn’t need....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2003

Many healthcare organizations met the compliance date of April 14, 2003, for HIPAA privacy by addressing the most visible features—implementing a notice of privacy practices, assigning an information privacy official (IPO), and conducting training sessions.


But a review of....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2003

Most HIPAA project managers are putting finishing touches on policies and procedures, getting them approved, and preparing training materials to meet the April 14, 2003, compliance deadline for privacy rule implementation. But it’s not enough to just write policies and procedures: policie....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2001

Policy and procedure documentation is essential to comply with HIPAA’s final rule on privacy. Many of the documentation requirements are not new to healthcare, but new details are associated with the documentation, and there are some new procedures to follow to ensur....

Author: Alakrawi, Zahraa M; Watzlaf, Valerie J.M.; Nemchik, Scot; Sheridan, Patty Thierry

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

Publication Date: March 2017

To quantify the impact of ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-10) on coding productivity, Ciox Health, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Health Information Management, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, conducted a previous study published in the August 2016....

Author: AHIMA Work Group on Electronic Health Records Management

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2004

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

Author: AHIMA Work Group on Electronic Health Records Management

Source: AHIMA practice brief attachment

Publication Date: October 2004

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

Author: AHIMA Work Group on Core Data Sets as Standards for the Electronic Health Record

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2004

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

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: 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: AHIMA Work Group

Source: Journal of AHIMA | AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: October 2016

Accurate patient identification is a major challenge faced by healthcare organizations across all levels of care throughout the industry. Health information management (HIM) professionals play a critical role in collecting identifiable information and matching the patient to their health record....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA toolkit

Publication Date: March 2016

The purpose of this toolkit is to provide guidance on the issues and challenges that should be considered when implementing a patient portal, such as the types of policies and procedures that will need to be put into place, workforce and consumer education and training, and the legal requirements and considerations that must be accounted for a successful portal implementation. Sample forms, portal use agreement, and patient portal FAQs are also included.

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: November 2013

Editor’s Note: This update supersedes the July 2010 practice brief “Automated Coding Workflow and CAC Practice Guidance.”


Over the past decade, clinical coding has become more complex due to:


The expansion of prospective payment systems to multipl....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2014

This Practice Brief explores the complexity of patient identification integrity, including how organizations can manage patient identification systems from front end data capture to back end quality control as an ongoing process and carry local quality operations into health information exchange efforts. It urges industry stakeholders to recognize that now is a critical time to address accuracy in patient identification systems.

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2011

Problem lists facilitate continuity of patient care by providing a comprehensive and accessible list of patient problems in one place. Problem lists used within health records are a list of illnesses, injuries, and other factors that affect the health of an individual patient, usually identifyi....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2013

Editor’s note: This update replaces the 2007 practice brief “Guidelines for EHR Documentation to Prevent Fraud.”


Electronic documentation tools offer many features that are designed to increase both the quality and the utility of clinical documentation, enhancin....