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Issue 12, December 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Consider speech recognition to boost your bottom line
If you could save your hospital $4 million, reduce your costs by 30%, and decrease the time it... -
Educate staff about provision of care requirements
Editor's note: This column is a continuation of our series of articles about The Joint Commission's... -
Recognize coders' worth during times of regulatory changes
Although coders are among those most responsible for a hospital's financial health and quality... -
AHIMA's blueprint for HIM education of the future sparks discussion, fuels debate among current professionals
A generation ago, concepts such as EMRs, personal health records, and computer-assisted coding were... -
Acute kidney disease: The crossroads of ICD-9-CM and medical literature
Dear colleagues: Under Medicare Severity DRGs (MS-DRG), defining acute kidney disease...
Issue 11, November 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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MRB subscribers tell their Joint Commission survey stories
Hospitals prepare year-round for a Joint Commission survey using audits, mock tracers, education... -
Capture the POA up-front using concurrent coding
As you enter the first few months of present-on-admission (POA) implementation and queries pile up... -
Welcome the emergence of personal health records
Although polls suggest that many individuals do maintain some form of a personal health record... -
Understand how coding affects your physician profile
Dear colleagues: I've written about healthcare quality concepts before. I've discussed physician...
Issue 10, October 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS moves forward with MS-DRGs for 2008
If you thought that CMS wouldn't be brave enough to enforce its highly anticipated Medicare... -
Consider operational aspects of the POA indicator
The present-on-admission (POA) indicator identifies whether a patient had a certain condition prior... -
MRB chats with readers about incomplete record strategies
No facility is exempt from incomplete records. But just because your facility may have a high... -
Comply with patient ethics, rights, and responsibilities
Editor's note: This column is a continuation of our series of articles about the Joint Commission... -
Changing seasons means changing times for DRG severity and quality improvement
Dear colleagues: The fall season is under way, and change is in the air. For some of us, this...
Issue 9, September 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Work-flow assessment helps one facility implement document imaging
Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series about work-flow assessment. Trying to... -
Ensure compliance, develop a plan of attack before the recovery audit contractor knocks on your door
If your hospital doesn't already have a plan for how it will address the recovery audit contractor... -
Comply with patient consents, refusal of care
Editor's note: This is the second article in Clark's series on Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO... -
Collaboration equals success when implementing the NPI
Eleven months in advance of the National Provider Identifier (NPI) effective date, our chief... -
The truth lies in the details of breathing difficulties
Throughout medical school, internship, residency, and fellowships, you hear about the same diseases...
Issue 8, August 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Get acquainted with the proposed revised CC list
Editor's note: This article went to press before the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS... -
Spread the word about NPI data dissemination
For those who have been waiting for CMS' plan for National Provider Identifier (NPI) data... -
Convey and capture patients' rights
Editor's note: This column is a continuation of Clark's series of articles about Joint Commission... -
Ensure medical professionalism by meeting, exceeding documentation requirements
Dear colleagues, Today's medical literature frequently addresses the topic of medical...
Issue 7, July 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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HIM directors up the ante
Although HIM director salaries haven't risen significantly during the past year, the number of... -
The present-on-admission writing has been on the wall
Facilities have been aware that the present-on-admission (POA) indicator was coming down the pike... -
Ensure that coders are capturing the new Physician Quality Reporting Initiatives
Although hospitals are accustomed to reporting quality measures, the concept is new to physicians... -
Conduct mock patient tracers to avoid surprises during unannounced surveys
Looking at the big picture can sometimes offer more insight into a particular process. This may be... -
One facility starts its own clinical documentation improvement process
It was 1999 and long before DRGs and quality measures became healthcare buzzwords nationwide. It... -
There are no excuses when it comes to the present-on-admission indicator
Dear colleagues, Hospitals are going nuts with the upcoming implementation of the present...
Issue 6, June 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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CMS proposes switch to MS-DRGs in 2008
In its proposed rule updating the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for fiscal... -
Privacy officer role expanding beyond HIPAA privacy
The role of the privacy officer has evolved over the past four years, according to an April report... -
Know what to expect during a CMS survey
Regulatory organizations such as CMS can be a thorn in the side of any HIM director, but knowing... -
Increase efficiency, ensure compliance with a more organized medical record
During a 2005 Joint Commission survey, Bon Secours Saint Mary's Hospital in Richmond, VA, realized... -
Understand how proposed IPPS changes will affect you
Dear colleagues, On April 13, Medicare proposed the greatest overhaul of hospital DRGs since the...
Issue 5, May 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Work with coders, IT now to prepare for ICD-10
Although the healthcare industry has been waiting for ICD-10 for several years and has seen related... -
Understanding needs, preparing for change essential to overcoming EHR obstacles
With the many benefits of transitioning to an electronic health record (EHR) come obstacles. And... -
Address summary lists, verbal/telephone orders, and availability of information
Editor's note: Over the past nine months, Clark has reviewed The Joint Commission information... -
Your documentation, your M&M profile
by Robert S. Gold, MD, and Darrell A. Campbell Jr., MD, chair of the American College of Surgeons...
Issue 4, April 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Groups call for NPI contingency period
Providers will not be ready for the May 23 national provider identifier (NPI) compliance date... -
CHW looks to improve quality, scorecards with documentation improvement program
Hospitals today receive grades or scorecards based on the quality of care they provide and publicly... -
Watch point-of-care documentation to comply with IM.6.30
Editor's note: In the coming months, Jean S. Clark, RHIA, will review Joint Commission information... -
Take a multifaceted approach to complying with IM.6.10
Information management standard IM.6.10, which requires hospitals to have complete and accurate...
Issue 3, March 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Organizations look to existing work force to take on CDI efforts
Editor's note: The following article reports on the results of two HCPro, Inc., surveys that asked... -
Find creative ways to boost morale, increase awareness and understanding
You can only give the same PowerPoint presentation so many times. With all of the training staff... -
Organization uses speech recognition to boost transcription productivity
When Maine Medical Center in Portland found that growing demands, recruitment challenges, and... -
Ten tips to help prepare for an unannounced survey
Even though organizations should ideally be prepared at all times, there are many specific ways in... -
Pay attention to details when documenting diabetes
We are learning that our documentation in the medical record in the office, nursing home, and...
Issue 2, February 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Survey: Still a lot of work ahead for facilities implementing EHRs
More facilities have begun the transition to electronic health records (EHR), according to the... -
HIPAA update: 2007 developments likely to include NPI deadline
Aside from the publication of the final enforcement rule in February and the ongoing reports of... -
Review related policies and procedures, conduct ongoing record reviews
Editor's note: In the coming months, Jean S. Clark, RHIA, will review the JCAHO information... -
Develop a plan now for NPI exchange
When the national provider identifier (NPI) final rule discusses making NPIs available to health... -
Develop competency assessments to meet accreditation requirements
When it comes to assessing employee competency, simply watching your staff at work won't always...
Issue 1, January 1, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE
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Hospital improves CDI by placing documentation specialists under HIM
When Maine Medical Center in Portland hired a consultant almost four years ago to review its coding... -
ORR makeover: How one hospital revamped its process and got physicians to review
When Marjorie Blundon, MBA, wanted to overhaul Massachusetts General Hospital's approach to ongoing... -
Look closer at your organization's amendment policy on legal health records
An amendment is typically the correction of a finalized entry in a medical record that has been...