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Medical Records Briefing

Issue 12, December 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• ICD-10 education: Creative ways to teach your coders

  As hospitals begin to develop more intensive training programs in preparation for ICD-10...

• It's all about ICD-10

  Dear reader, Each month in 2011 we've celebrated MRB's 25th birthday with discounts, contests...

• How one HIM director turned his department around-and saved big bucks in the process

  Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC), a 471-bed nonprofit hospital located in Pine Bluff, AR...

• Assess your coders on ICD-10-CM

  Editor's note: Train staff members on ICD-10-CM with the following quiz, excerpted from the ICD-10...

• A no-cost way to prove your competency in HIT

  The need for qualified health information technology (HIT) professionals will increase...

• Physician education: Tips for teaching, from A to Z

  Editor's note: There are a number of ways to get information into the hands of your facility's...

• Your HIM holiday wish list

  Editor's note: In honor of the holidays, we asked our "MRB Talk" members to send us their...

Issue 11, November 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Six ways to make the EHR meaningful use incentive program work for you

  The Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs are well under way at this point. The federal...

• Make your department's holiday celebrations a hit

  It's almost that time of year again, when holidays abound and people's lives tend to get even more...

• Pneumonia with a negative chest x-ray: Clinical diagnoses, physician documentation, and coding guidelines

  As the weather cools, the heat is on coders to properly report the high number of pneumonia cases...

• A glimpse into the future of AHIMA and HIM

  Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, took on a new role in June: She became the interim CEO...

• HIPAA Q&A: HIPAA updates and violations

  Test staff members' knowledge of HIPAA with these questions from readers.

• A year's worth of Joint Commission compliance

  As we begin to close out the year, it seems to be a good time to reflect on some of the challenging...

Issue 10, October 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The 2012 IPPS final rule: Coding, MS-DRG, CC/MCC, and DCA changes

  CMS finalized a documentation and coding adjustment (DCA) of -2% for fiscal year (FY) 2012...

• Assess remote options, software contracts, and work flow processes to save coding budget dollars

  No industry or profession is immune to the budget crunch. Unfortunately, many coding departments...

• Benchmark survey results show ICD-10 implementation efforts are under way industrywide

  Editor's note: In 2011 we're celebrating MRB's 25th birthday with special content each month. For...

• A port in a storm: Benefits of an EHR when disaster hits

  St. John's Regional Medical Center's EHR went live on May 1. On May 22, a deadly tornado struck the...

• EHR best practices from A to Z

  Over the course of the past 30 years in the HIM field, I have observed much trial and error on the...

• Quiz: Get to know the new and revised 2012 ICD-9-CM procedure codes

  Use this quiz to test staff members' knowledge of the 2012 ICD-9-CM procedure code additions and...

• Does ICD-10-CM/PCS put revenue at risk?

  With 46% of survey respondents anticipating revenue losses from the ICD-10 transition, it may...

• Wound care terms defined: A resource for coders

  Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, ­regional managing director of HIM (Northern...

Issue 9, September 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS proposes to eliminate lab requisition physician signature requirement

  CMS has proposed to rescind the requirement for signatures on all lab requisitions, according to...

• What color is your PEPPER?

  The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns ­Electronic Report (PEPPER), distributed...

• Advice from the pros: Editorial advisory board members sound off

  Editor's note: MRB is celebrating its 25th year in 2011, and each month we're bringing you special...

• Are you ready for the patient-centered communication standards?

  Don't let the new patient-centered communication standards catch you up short. These standards...

• HIPAA Q&A: Incidental disclosures, HIV information, and more

  Test staff knowledge of HIPAA with these questions.

• Remote coding: The good, the bad, and the productivity

  According to a survey on coder productivity published in the May edition of MRB, 83% of those with...

Issue 8, August 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Make sense of the accounting of disclosures proposed rule

  HHS has released the long-awaited notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the changes to the HIPAA...

• Decisions, decisions, decisions: Appealing denials, addressing interest, and making a case

  Denied claims got you down? An upper-level appeal may be the answer.

• Quiz: The new 2012 proposed ICD-9 codes

  Use this quiz to test staff members on the 2012 proposed ICD-9-CM code additions.

• Whaddya wanna know?

  Editor's note: Each month in 2011, we're celebrating MRB's 25th year with special content...

• Are your ICD-10 educational efforts under way?

  When it comes to ICD-10 education, a day late may mean you're more than a few dollars short.

• How would you score in an OIG security audit?

  If patients were already concerned about healthcare organizations' ability to protect their...

• A Minute for the Medical Staff, August 2011

  A Minute for the Medical Staff, August 2011

Issue 7, July 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Full team ahead: Think outside the department for a comprehensive approach to ICD-10 education

  The staff at St. Francis Hospital-the Heart Center in Roslyn, NY, recognize that ICD-10 is more...

• ICD-10-CM/PCS: Assess coder productivity and clinical knowledge

  Coding productivity will decrease at least initially­ with the switch to ICD-10-CM/PCS. Coders...

• Does EHR documentation mean improved documentation?

  For years we have heard that EHRs improve the ­quality of clinical documentation in the medical...

• Case study: Keep HIM in the thick of PHR management

  HIM's management of the patient portion of the ­Vanderbilt Medical Center's patient portal...

• HIPAA Q&A: Photos, Facebook, and more

  Test staff knowledge of HIPAA with these questions.

• Involve HIM in Joint Commission survey preparations

  Does HIM play a role in Joint Commission survey readiness at your hospital?

• 2011 HIM director and manager salary survey results

  Editor's note: In 2011 we are celebrating MRB's 25th year in a myriad of ways. This month we're...

• A Minute for the Medical Staff, July 2011

  A Minute for the Medical Staff, July 2011

• 2011 HIM Director and Manager Salary Survey Report

  2011 HIM Director and Manager Salary Survey Report

Issue 6, June 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Five assessments critical to ICD-10 implementation

  ICD-10 will affect every system within your hospital. So said Mary Rita Hyland, RN, BS, MBA...

• Tips from the trenches: Long-time readers share advice

  Throughout 2011 we are including ­special content in honor of MRB's 25th year. This month we...

• Find out where you stand with a RAC risk assessment tool

  To take a proactive approach to the RAC process, you will need to assess your current level of...

• Quiz: ICD-9-CM Volume 3 procedure coding

  Test staff on ICD-9-CM Volume 3 procedure coding.

• Consider remote coding to attract top-notch professionals

  Jean Stone, RHIT, CCS, has never met some of the coders who report directly to her. She has...

• Improve query response time: Let your EHR do the work

  When Carolyn Taggett, RHIT, director of health information services at Northern Maine Medical...

Issue 5, May 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• HIM's top 10 problematic Joint Commission EPs

  There are some Joint Commission EPs with which ­almost all hospital HIM departments struggle...

• Spread some smiles: Creative ways to improve morale without spending a lot of money

  Even with today's tight budgets, there are still ways you can brighten the faces of your staff...

• What HITECH did to HIPAA: The changing regulatory landscape of privacy, security, and enforcement

  When President Obama signed into law the HITECH Act as part of ARRA in February 2009, it meant a...

• ICD-10-CM/PCS Q&A: Dual systems, forms, and transcription

  In what instances would a dual system be necessary? What impact, if any, will ICD-10-CM/PCS have on...

• Coder productivity: Where do you stand?

  Establishing coder productivity standards can be ­challenging if you don't know where to begin...

• HIPAA refresher: Voice mail messages, stickers, and taking paper records off-site

  Test your knowledge of HIPAA: Is it permissible to leave voice messages on ­patients' home or...

• Chart RAC activity to watch-and share-trends

  When Nancy Herr, RN, BSN, CCM, manager of utilization review at Liberty (MO) Hospital, started...

• 2011 Coder Productivity Survey

  2011 Coder Productivity Survey

Issue 4, April 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Kick off your ICD-10 implementation the right way

  Managing the changeover to ICD-10 may be so ­completely overwhelming for some HIM directors and...

• Spread the word about physician legibility

  Legible.Complete.Dated, timed, signed, and authenticated.That's what section 482.24 of the Medicare...

• Get started on CPOE implementation

  If you are gearing up for a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) implementation, there are some...

• The more things change . . .

  Editor's note: As part of our yearlong celebration of MRB's 25th year, we wanted to take a look...

• Conduct an EHR readiness assessment

  Hardware, software, people, policy, and process must work together to achieve your organization's...

• The lost art of data integrity

    Somewhere between the third urgent item on your to-do list, getting your budgets prepared...

• Quiz: Know the ICD-9-CM neoplasm codes

  Use this quiz to test staff members' knowledge of coding for neoplasms.

Issue 3, March 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Comply with the new signature requirements for lab requisitions: How HIM can help

  After 10 years, the requirements for signatures on lab requisitions are still in flux; CMS...

• Comply with MM.04.01.01 documentation requirements

  I promised in a previous “Standards of the month” column that I would address Joint...

• Dealing with RACs: How hospitals managed in 2010

  In 2010, HCPro’s Revenue Cycle Institute conducted its second annual in-depth study on RAC...

• HIPAA refresher: Privacy for minors and more

  Use this tool to test staff members’ HIPAA knowledge.

• Master excision, extraction, and resection: ICD-10-PCS root operation case studies

  It will take time for coders to become comfortable translating terminology used in physician...

• ICD-10: A change that makes sense

  There is something coming down the pike that will affect every one of you—a new coding...

Issue 2, February 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• An ounce of prevention: Keep HIM and coding running smoothly during EHR go-live

  The last thing you need is more to do, but when it comes to preparing your HIM department for EHR...

• ICD-10-PCS root operations: A case study approach

  The codes, they are a-changin’.  “In my opinion, [ICD-10 implementation] is the...

• Quiz: Brush up on the new 2011 CPT codes

  Use this quiz to test your coding staff members on the new CPT codes that went into effect January...

• Consider bringing HIM interns on board for help with ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation projects

  On October 1, 2013, all HIPAA-covered entities must implement ICD-10-CM for all diagnoses and...

• Keep clinical documentation improvement at your physicians’ fingertips

  Many organizations develop physician documentation tip sheets based on the clinical topics...

• Words with our founder: An interview with Jennifer Cofer Flanagan

  As part of our yearlong celebration of MRB’s 25th birthday, this month we are featuring an...

• It’s not too early to prepare for ICD-10-CM/PCS

  Dear colleagues: Even though it is still two and a half years away, it’s not too early to...

Issue 1, January 1, 2011 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Release of information practices revealed

  The move to an electronic record affects all areas of the hospital, and the release of information...

• Tips for the trainer: Five HIPAA New Year’s resolutions for HIM directors and privacy officers

  Happy New Year! As we begin 2011, here are five HIPAA-related resolutions all HIM directors and...

• Chart completion and auditing in an electronic environment

  Chart completion, in the traditional sense, typically entails someone reviewing a record to ensure...

• When selecting an EHR vendor, don?t forget the add-ons!

  I was recently working on an EHR project, and there was a deep and vibrant discussion about which...

• Top three medical record concerns for CMS surveys

  The frequency of CMS surveys seems to be on the rise. With that in mind, I thought I would address...

• Medical Records Briefing 2010 index

  Medical Records Briefing 2010 index

• Share the responsibility of HIPAA compliance

  HIPAA privacy officers don’t have eyes in the back of their heads. Nor can they be...

• Documentation improvement programs: Friend or foe?

  Many of the nation’s hospitals now have clinical documentation improvement (CDI...

Issue 1, September 12, 2011

• 25 tips you need to know: Celebrating 25 years of advice for HIM directors and managers

  25 tips you need to know: Celebrating 25 years of advice for HIM directors and managers

• New 2012 ICD-9 code changes

  New 2012 ICD-9 code changes

• ICD-10 Myocardial Infarction Query

  ICD-10 Myocardial Infarction Query

• ICD-10 Cerebral Artery Infarction Query

  ICD-10 Cerebral Artery Infarction Query