Health Information Management Newsletters

Briefings on APCs Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies Briefings on HIPAA HIM Briefings

Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a stronger process for 30 years!

Subscribe »

2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Issue 11, November 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• MOON requirement delayed in IPPS final rule: What next?

  Hospitals got a last-minute reprieve from the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON...

• Ready CDI teams for CMS' proposed expansion of mandatory ortho episode payment models

  If your hospital resides in one of the 67 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) required to...

• How coders can build a successful relationship with their physicians

  All coders know that working with physicians is not always a positive experience. It can be tough...

• 30th anniversary celebration: Never stop learning

  My original career choice in high school was to pursue a degree in medicine. It was my father, a...

• HIM Reimagined: Just the facts

  The Health Information Management Reimagined (HIMR) taskforce is charged with envisioning for the...

Issue 10, October 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2016 HIM roles and responsibilities survey: Survey respondents weigh in on roles and responsibilities

  For approximately 10 years, HIMB has been gathering data about the HIM profession through...

• 2017 IPPS final rule and claims-based measures

  The fiscal year (FY) 2017 IPPS final rule was released August 2 and will be published in the...

• HIM: It's myth-buster time

  The May 2016 issue of Perspectives outlined 225 hospital requirements from the...

• One year of ICD-10: First half 2016 data shows coding trends and impacts

  One year following the official implementation of ICD-10, the coding industry is beginning to...

• The Joint Commission deletes 225 standards

  The May 2016 issue of Perspectives outlined 225 hospital requirements from the...

Issue 9, September 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2017 OPPS proposed rule looks to implement provider-based changes

  CMS is looking to implement the Section 603 provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015...

• Postoperative respiratory failure's introduction into the CMS value-based reimbursement model

  The accurate capture of acute respiratory failure has been a long-standing challenge for CDI...

• Meeting revenue cycle goals by simplifying the complexities of self-pay management

  The cost of healthcare is quickly rising across the nation, and patients are shouldering the...

• 30th anniversary celebration: Leading through fear

  When I look back on 30 years of involvement with HIM, it's hard to believe that I was also...

• HIPAA Q&A: Privacy in the workplace

  Q: What recommendations do you have for handling medical records for staff members who are also...

• Tips for billing for observation

  Observation hours start accruing not when the patient comes into the hospital, but when the...

Issue 8, August 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Hospital offers incentives for identifying incorrect patient status

  It's no secret that hospitals struggle with assigning the most appropriate status for patients, and...

• 30th anniversary celebration: Leadership lesson

  So many people struggle early in their careers with finding a perfect fit for their talents and...

• PSI 90's transformation into the Patient Safety and Adverse Events Composite

  Reconciliation is a noun meaning "the process of finding a way to make two different ideas...

• Understanding clinical documentation reconciliation

  Reconciliation is a noun meaning "the process of finding a way to make two different ideas...

• HIPAA Q&A: Scheduling and confirming appointments

  Q: Can I leave a patient a voicemail about an MRI procedure, including the time and date? What...

• Q&A: Compliance with the NOTICE Act and MOON

  Observation services are an ongoing point of confusion for hospitals and patients, many of whom...

Issue 7, July 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2016 HIM director and manager salary survey

  When compared to data from past surveys, HCPro's 2016 HIM director and manager salary survey...

• 2017 IPPS proposed rule and claims-based quality and cost measures--hold on to your seats!

  The FY 2017 IPPS proposed rule released April 27 is replete with modifications and expansions to...

• HIM anchors a world of constant change

  My HIM career began like many others?in frank conversation with a high school guidance counselor...

• JC quarterly update: Restraints and seclusion: A necessary record review

  This column is devoted to restraint and seclusion documentation; it provides support for, and a...

• Getting by with a little help from our (HIM) friends

  Certain phrases just stick with you. The longer you reflect on an idea, the more inspired you are...

Issue 6, June 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS, payers agree on set of quality and cost measures to link payment

  Clinical documentation and coding has a significant impact on value-based quality outcome...

• The story of the dames of distinction

  Those who regularly attend the annual AHIMA Convention and Exhibit no doubt have seen the...

• Volume to value: HIM leadership needed

  The healthcare industry is focused on the triple aim: reducing healthcare costs, improving patient...

• Utilization review and patient status case studies

  The following case study examples illustrate various aspects of utilization review and patient...

• Determine how Bipartisan Budget Act impacts off-campus departments, modifier -PO

  The new modifier -PO (services, procedures, and/or surgeries furnished at off-campus...

Issue 5, May 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Audit update: What's coming down the audit pipeline for 2016

  Over the past couple months, HIMB has had audits on the brain. We covered the progress...

• CJR model requires CDI evolution

  In our last article, I provided an overview of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR...

• Standardization and collaboration are key to patient matching and reducing duplicate records

  Accurate patient matching within the EMR should not be a concern limited to HIM professionals...

• HIPAA Q&A: Role-based access and incidental disclosures

  Q: The emergency department (ED) at the hospital where I work often becomes so busy that we...

Issue 4, April 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2016 ICD-10 productivity survey: Survey respondents share challenges, successes

  In February 2016, just four months after ICD-10 go-live, HIM Briefings asked a range of...

• Bigger isn't always better

  Do you recall the recent humorous television commercial for phone services that featured children...

• Impact of ICD-10 on physician workflow: The unforeseen consequences

  Last year, as ICD-10 implementation approached, organizations throughout the U.S. reported varying...

• Joint Commission quarterly update: Medical record documentation guide and medical record reviews

  Our readers have been asking for an updated medical record documentation guide, and here it is?new...

Issue 3, March 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• QIO short-stay audits tracking back further than expected

  When the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) took over the role of education and enforcement...

• An introduction to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement payment model

  by Shannon Newell, RHIA, CCS, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer Approximately 800 hospitals...

• HIM past, present, and future

  In celebration of our 30th year of delivering you the latest in HIM, we continue to reflect on what...

• HIPAA Q&A: Disposing of records and requests for records

  Q: The chief executive officer of the hospital where I work is talking about having our hospital...

• The transition to ICD-10 versus the shift to DRGs

  One of the last major shifts in coding before the transition to ICD-10 was the introduction of...

• Query considerations: When to query unspecified diagnoses

  Over-querying is a common concern in CDI. It can influence productivity and workflow. It can cause...

Issue 2, February 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Hold on to attestation documentation when preparing for a meaningful use audit

  CMS giveth and CMS taketh away. More than $21 billion in payments under the Medicare EHR Incentive...

• The CDI team's impact on the CMS pneumonia readmission measure

  The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program is a CMS pay-for-performance program that links the...

• The CDI leader's keys to success: Solid partnerships, driving improvements

  Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs are prevalent in many hospitals and have evolved...

• OPPS has first negative payment update

  The 2016 OPPS final rule includes the first negative payment update for the system. CMS finalized...

• Board member spotlight: HIM over 30 years

  As we celebrate our 30th year of delivering you the latest in HIM, we would like to invite you to...

Issue 1, January 1, 2016 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2015 ROI benchmarking survey: Survey respondents share challenges, successes

  HIM Briefings (formerly Medical Records Briefing) asked HIM and release of information...

• Looking ahead for 2016

  As we embark on our 30th year of delivering you the latest in HIM, we would like to invite you to...

• Joint Commission quarterly update: Ensuring accurate and complete medical records

  The Joint Commission's September 2015 Perspectives encourages "hospitals to design...

• 2016 post-ICD-10 apocalypse

  I first attended a lecture on the "upcoming" ICD-10 changes that were expected in 1991...

• HIPAA Q&A: Retaining copies of records, filming in a hospital

  Q: What is the recommendation for retaining hard copies of medical records once they have been...

• HIM Briefings 2015 index

  Find out what you may have missed in 2015.