Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

In the past several years cloud computing has gained substantial recognition. However, it is still a relatively new concept for those in the healthcare industry.

Before adopting cloud-based services or applications, organizations need to understand how cloud computing works, the typ....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

Data stewardship is a hot topic. As this issue went to press, the Department of Health and Human Services was expected to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking on accounting of disclosures, an expansion of the HIPAA requirements mandated by the HITECH Act.

Rulemaking was also expe....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2011

Lawsuits can hinge on a deposition. And while HIM professionals have long been called on to attest to the production of the paper medical record, electronic health record systems are introducing a whole new set of questions and considerations.

Providing an accurate deposition on an....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2011

Managing third-party requests for health information is a routine function for every HIM department. HIM professionals regularly receive record requests from third parties for a variety of reasons, such as revenue integrity audits or admission validation reviews.

Historically, fulfi....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

A 45-year-old man rushes into a Maryland hospital's HIM department requesting the full medical records of both his 70-year-old mother and father. Both had been previously treated by the hospital for complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Some years previously the mother and father e....

Author: Dinh, Angela K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

The electronic health record's promise of a paperless environment has been around for decades, but it has proven difficult to keep. Regardless of how an EHR is implemented or the phase of implementation, paper remains a staple of the health record for quite some time after conversion and, in m....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

Important differences exist in advance directives. Only some grant access to another person's medical records, and that can change with time.

After 50 years of marriage, Rosa Taylor-Payne noticed even the slightest change in her husband, Marvell Payne. So she started to worry when he....

Author: Warner, Diana

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2010

Many organizations still struggle with ongoing and timely clinical communication among physicians and between physicians and their patients. Physician-to-physician communication for ongoing patient care is especially complex. It requires identifying all physicians involved in the care of a pat....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: November 2010

A successful transition from paper-based charts to electronic health records (EHRs) in the physician practice or clinic requires careful coordination of many moving parts. A myriad of challenging and complex decisions must be made, ranging from selection and implementation to training and maint....

Author: Berryhill, Tammy Lynn

Source: Perspectives in Health Information Management

Publication Date: October 2010

Many of us have preconceived notions about how we will work within the new electronic environment as we help the implementation process succeed. Perhaps we need to also look at the negative impact some of these changes have had on HIM personnel. Some may find their tasks outsourced, o....