Q: Is it necessary for organizations to provide HIPAA training for all workforce members, even those who are not involved in patient care (e.g., janitorial staff, administration, nonclinical roles)?
The new ICD-10-CM codes for FY 2018, effective October 1, 2017, represent significant changes in some of our documentation and coding practices. Review the changes to the FY 2018 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (the Guidelines), which must be embraced if our documentation, coding, and billing is to withstand compliance scrutiny from outside auditors and accountability agents.
Taking today’s challenges head on will demonstrate the HIM professional’s ability to adapt to a changing landscape and provide its organization with a reduction in operating costs and the provision of superior service.
Many HIM directors and coding managers say it takes all three to recruit high-quality, experienced medical record coders post-ICD-10. While coder shortages are nowhere near what they were in ICD-9, new challenges have emerged for HIM staffing.
A successful outpatient CDI program will be invaluable to an organization, but without a focus and plan the program can become overwhelmed and ineffective. HIM and CDI need to work closely together to identify the greatest areas of opportunity in the outpatient setting and ensure that goals are aligned throughout the continuum of care.
Q: If paper documents that contain PHI are shredded, is it acceptable for an organization to dispose of them in a dumpster? If not, should we hire a business associate to dispose of papers that contain protected health information?
