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Manage the changing nature of HIM jobs

HIM Connection, January 3, 2012

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Times are changing, and, most likely, so are the jobs of your HIM staff members.

In some cases, there's a sudden addition of responsibilities, such as the implementation of the RAC program, explained Elizabeth Layman, PhD, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA, professor in the Department of Health Services and Information Management at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

In other cases, the change is slower. "Think about 1996 and how many e-mails you got. And think about how that has increased in the last 15 years," Layman said at the AHIMA national convention held October 3, 2011, in Salt Lake City. Sending e-mail takes time, even though it may not seem like a significant amount; this time needs to be factored into how long it takes staff members to do their jobs, she said.

In addition, there are shifts in terms of pacing. "We don't have the lead time we used to. You'd get a document via snail mail, you'd then have a few weeks to send it back, and you could figure it into your schedule. Now, you get a report Thursday and you need to turn it around by end of day Friday—and sometimes even that is a luxury," Layman said, explaining that if people have to suddenly drop everything and take care of certain projects or tasks, the way they work changes.

Editor’s note: Read the entire article in the January issue of Medical Records Briefing.

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