HCPro.com: Medical Records Briefing

Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a stronger process for fifteen years!

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September 2008 (Volume 23, Issue 9)	view entire issue

Salary survey: More responsibilities, little to no extra pay
Editor's note: This article is the first in a two-part series on the results of HCPro's annual MRB salary survey. Data in this article represent the responses of 310 HIM directors from hospitals in the following bed-size categories: Fewer than 150 beds (47%) 150-300 beds (27%) More than 300 beds (26%) "Overworked and underpaid" is the lament of many HIM directors who participated in HCPro's annual MRB salary survey. 58% of 310 respondents say members of the profession are not fairly compensated.

Clean up your MPI before implementing an EHR
HIM directors concur-duplicate medical record numbers are extremely difficult to manage. Correct one duplicate in the master patient index (MPI), and another one pops up right behind it. This should come as no surprise because industry experts cite a 3-40% duplicate rate for most hospitals, depending on how proactive they are in not only identifying duplicates but also in preventing their creation. Anyone who doesn't find these numbers alarming should consider the potential effect on patients.

Make sure acute myocardial infarction data is correct before core measures catch up with you
We are all aware of the practice guidelines for acute myocardial infarction (MI) because we've been using them for more than five years. However, the guidelines that we've come to know are currently under review for revisions or additions. One problem that perhaps the new guidelines will address is when to apply criteria to acute MI cases and when it is not appropriate to do so. We need an objective perspective to measure for acute MI.

Other recently-published articles from Medical Records Briefing:

Electronic health IT advances create opportunities, challenges for HIM directors and staff members

Requirements for patient discharge and transfer

Put a stop to stamped signatures once and for all

AHIMA’s final query practice brief reflects growing CDI efforts

How to code common winter ailments

Knock, knock! Who’s there? It’s ICD-10, and you’d better be ready

HIPAA: Transcription, breaches, and PHI for research

Ask what leadership means, and use self-assessment to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses

Understand the details of personal health records to serve as a valuable patient resource

Flag identity theft as federal rule takes effect

Polish your profile by clarifying heart failure, pneumonia, and pressure ulcers

Diabetes classification integral to hospital quality measurement, correct code capture

Address coder shortage with an apprentice program

Know requirements for sedation and anesthesia

Ensure that coders review the new ICD-9-CM coding guidelines effective October 1

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