Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief attachment

Publication Date: August 2011

A critical component of AHIMA's draft HIM Core Model, a robust description of the functions and opportunities open to current and future HIM professionals, is capture and maintenance of health data.1 HIM professionals are encouraged to assume a leadership role in outlining how data are captured....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief attachment

Publication Date: August 2011

A solid foundation is key to any organization's structure. The same is true for HIM. Information stewardship and data governance practices provide cohesive policies, processes, and decision rights and responsibilities for effective health information management and maintenance.1

The....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief attachment

Publication Date: August 2011

In today's world, HIM staff must work together with the IT department to ensure the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of health information. This teamwork can enable safe, high-quality care and the efficient provision of services.

Normally HIM professionals are not respons....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2011

Editor's note: this practice brief supplants the January 2005 practice brief "The HIM Role in Patient Safety and Quality of Care."


Achieving high quality, cost-efficient healthcare requires collaboration among all healthcare professionals and stakeholders. Currently the quality of....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2016

There is a significant amount of evidence that points to the existence of serious quality concerns for patients undergoing care transitions across multiple care settings. The 2001 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report “Crossing the Quality Chasm” famously described the US system as dec....

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: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2008

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

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief attachment

Publication Date: November 2008

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

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2011

Editor's note: This update supplants the November-December 2006 practice brief "Privacy and Security in Health Information Exchange".


The primary function of a health information exchange (HIE) is to permit access to clinical information on demand at the point of care. HIEs enabl....

Author: Murphy, Gretchen; Brandt, Mary D.

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2001

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

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill; Hjort, Beth M.; Washington, Lydia

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2007

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

Author: AHIMA; American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: June 2010

Editor’s note: This update replaces content presented in the November 2003 practice brief “Handling Complaints and Mitigation.”


Many HIM professionals are experienced at managing various types of complaints that arise in day-to-day health information operations.....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2003

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

Author: Bryant, Gloryanne H.; Mogbo, Chinedum

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: July 2018

Untitled Document


Guidelines for Physician Office Query Practice


Documentation in the health record is a basic but critical component to every patient encounter, patient service, and setting. The provider is key to delivering detailed information reg....

Author: AHIMA e-HIM Work Group: Guidelines for EHR Documentation Practice

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2007

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

Author: AHIMA e-HIM Work Group on EHR Data Content

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2006

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

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: November 2013

This 2013 practice brief version has been retired and is retained here for historical purposes. Read the 2016 updated version of this Practice Brief here.



The Privacy Rule portion of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 defines a "business....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: October 2016

This update supersedes the November 2013 practice brief, Guidelines for a Compliant Business Associate Agreement.



The Privacy Rule portion of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) defines a "business associate (BA) as a person or entity that performs....

Author:

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: January 2016

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief has been updated. See the latest version: http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=302674. This version is made available for historical purposes only.



In court an attorney can’t “lead” a witness into a....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2013

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

Author: Combs, Tammy; DeVault, Kathryn; Easterling, Sharon; Endicott, Melanie; Isom, Crystal; Lojewski, Tedi; Simmons, Cortnie R.; Wolf, Beth

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2016

Editor’s Note. This Practice Brief has been updated. See the latest version at Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant ICD-10-PCS Query
. This version is made available for historical purposes only.




The complex and highly specific nature of ICD-10-PCS has changed....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: May 2010

The content in this practice brief has been updated. See updated information here.

Author: Bielby, Judy A; Williams, Margaret

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: August 2010

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

Author: Fenton, Susan H.; Williams, Margaret

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2005

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

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: February 2011

Throughout this brief, sentences marked with the † symbol indicate AHIMA best practices in health information management. These practices are collected in the new AHIMA Compendium, offering health information management professionals "just in time" guidance as they research and address p....