Joint Commission urges HIM technician role
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations wants to continue the practice of having experienced health information management (HIM) technicians directly involved in closed medical record reviews.
After two years of site surveys, the national accrediting body based in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, has concluded that only experienced medical record technicians have the necessary skill to determine a closed chart’s completeness, says Ann Kobs, MS, RN, associate director in the Joint Commission’s department of standards.
Closed records are those in which the patient has been discharged and all items in the record have been authenticated.
In the past, clinical and administrative personnel other than HIM staff have participated in segments of the review that determine completeness.
The reviews were conducted under Joint Commission guidelines, but were considered flawed and time-consuming by surveyors. Lack of expertise was blamed for the problems.
The issue is important because part of an outpatient facility’s accreditation depends on the quality and completeness of its closed patient files.
The role of health information management in ambulatory care March 13-14, San Francisco. Sponsored by the Ambulatory Care Section of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Ambulatory Information Managers. Registration is $175 for both days for members, $210 for nonmembers, or $125 for one day. Contact: AHIMA. Telephone: (312) 787-2672. Ask for the meetings division. E-mail: [email protected]
Emerging Information Technologies in Healthcare March 16-19, University of Michigan Business School, Executive Education Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Sponsored by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIMES). Contact: CHIMES, P.O. Box 947, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Telephone: (313) 665-0000. Fax: (313) 665-4922. E-mail: [email protected]
Getting Control: Effective Procedure Coding for Emergency Medicine April 4-6, the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. Sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Contact: ACEP Sales and Services, PO Box 619911, Dallas, TX 75261-9911. Telephone: (800) 798-1822, Ext. 6. Fax: (972) 580-2816. E-mail: [email protected]
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