Category: Patient portals

Inspiration, innovation key themes at the 2016 annual AHIMA convention

On By Lisa A. EramoIn AHIMA, Apprenticeship, EMR and EHR, information governance, Patient advocacy, Patient communication, Patient engagement, Patient portals

20161018_211108“Inspire big thinking to launch our future” was the theme of the 88th annual AHIMA convention held October 16-19 in Baltimore, MD. And wow, did it inspire. I imagine that most HIM professionals walked away from the event feeling incredibly energized about the role they’ll play in this new era of big data and patient engagement.

In my opinion, the most powerful presentation was that of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the first doctor to diagnose chronic brain damage in NFL athletes. He also inspired the movie “Concussion” starring Will Smith. Dr. Omalu received frequent applause as he shared his personal journey–one in which he overcame insurmountable odds in war-torn Nigeria to not only attend medical school at the age of 15 but also to ultimately make a discovery that revolutionized neuroscience and sports medicine/safety. I had goosebumps just listening to him. As I watched and listened in awe, I was reminded that with hard work, passion, and a little luck, anything is possible. This is an important lesson for everyone, including HIM professionals working tirelessly to improve compliance and data integrity within their organizations.

Retired American astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly continued the theme of inspiration as he spoke about his career flying 39 combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait during the first Gulf War. He also described in vivid detail what it felt like to blast off in a rocket when he served as the commander of space shuttle “Endeavor” on its final flight. His talk then turned personal as he spoke about the day his wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was severely wounded after being shot in the head at near point-blank range. Giffords joined him on stage at the conclusion of the talk and received a standing ovation.

Many of the sessions throughout the duration of the conference focused on thinking ‘outside the box’ of traditional HIM roles.

For example, ONC Chief Medical Information Officer Andrew Gettinger, MD, encouraged HIM professionals to help their organizations integrate patient-generated data into the EHR–especially as medical care continues to move outside of a hospital’s four walls. He said HIM is also well-suited to help organizations “harvest digital dividends” from EHRs–that is, use the technology (and big data) to solve operational challenges and problems.

During a panel discussion about the future of healthcare, AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA, encouraged attendees to imagine the HIM jobs of the future–and take steps now to prepare. Is higher education warranted? A specialty credential? She said to embrace industry changes–not simply react to them.

Panelists identified these healthcare trends that will continue to shape HIM in the years to come:

  • Push for transparency around healthcare costs
  • Integration of patient-generated data for a 360 degree holistic view of one’s health
  • Increased interoperability to meet patients’ demands and coordinate care more effectively
  • Best practices to educate patients about their health information
  • Best-of-breed strategic partnerships
  • Availability of clinical information at the point of care

Others spoke about new and emerging roles in HIM, including data scientist and healthcare data quality manager. Michelle Basco, RHIA, of Children’s Medical Center spoke about her own journey to become a personal health record coordinator. HIM professionals are uniquely qualified to engage and educate patients. “They need to learn, and they need us by the side,” she said.

Various speakers also talked about the importance of developing an HIM workforce to meet the job demands of the future. Apprenticeship programs are critical, said Bill Rudman, PhD, RHIA, executive director of the AHIMA Foundation. “We’re evolving so quickly with technology. On-the-job experience is so necessary,” he added.

Marci Wilhelm, of MedPartners, said apprentices with whom she’s worked achieved a 95% coding accuracy rate in only 90 days. Debra Boppre, MSM, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, of Trinity Health recounted a similar experience with apprentices who helped address coding backlogs at their facility.

Boppre encouraged other HIM professionals consider serving as mentors. “You owe it to these HIM professionals,” she said. “Invest the time, and you will see the return on investment over and over again.”

Information governance was also a hot topic. During a panel discussion, panelist Sally Beahan, RHIA, MHA, director of HIM at UW Medicine said to start small by identifying the ways in which HIM is already striving to enhance data integrity. Others shared their journeys toward information governance and encouraged HIM professionals to champion the effort within their organizations.

Did you attend the AHIMA convention? If so, what did you take away from it? What inspired you the most?

 

 

 

Why HIM professionals hold the keys to patient satisfaction

On By Lisa A. EramoIn AHIMA, Communication, EMR and EHR, Freelance writing, Healthcare writing, HIM management, ICD-10, Patient advocacy, Patient engagement, Patient portals, Patient satisfaction, Uncategorized

I started writing about medical coding and health information back in 2005. When I stop and think about how many changes HIM professionals have been through during that decade, it’s mind-boggling! First it was MS-DRGs and the dawn of clinical documentation improvement, then the Affordable Care Act and the push for electronic health records, then ICD-10, and now a transition to value-based payments.

As medical records have evolved, HIM professionals’ skills have evolved as well. With their intimate knowledge of data — particularly how data is created, modified, stored, and shared — they bring such value to the table. The sky is the limit when HIM and IT collaborate effectively. Add a hospital executive to the mix, and you’ve got a powerful trio of intelligent minds that can propel process improvement forward. What an exciting thought!

Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to find common ground. And it’s easy to lose valuable ideas in translation. The good news is that everyone seems to speak the language of ‘patient satisfaction.’ Organizations nationwide  continue to focus on the patient experience — especially in light of the important role that both of these plays in CMS’ latest hospital quality star ratings.

This is an opportunity for HIM. Take it.

Meet with a C-suite executive and explain how HIM can engage patients. Here are a few examples:

  1. Portal navigation. Who is most qualified to convey the value of portals and educate patients how to use them? HIM.
  2. Health coverage education. Who is most knowledgeable of complex insurance policies (including copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, etc.) and can thus help patients understand these concepts? HIM.
  3. Digital forms. Who can help digitize forms, integrate EHR data into those forms, reduce duplication, and create opportunities for e-signatures on mobile devices? HIM.
  4. Advocacy for privacy and security. Who can help patients understand their rights to obtain copies of their own medical records? HIM.
  5. Protection against medical identity theft. Who can implement policies and procedures to thwart identity theft and protect patient information? HIM.
  6. EHR best practices. Who can help physicians integrate the EHR into the exam room so it doesn’t disrupt communication? HIM.

In what other ways do you, as an HIM professional, strive to improve the patient experience daily?