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E-Newsletter • November 2024 |
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Editor's E-Note
Megan Pruente, MPH, RHIA, vice president of industry relations and strategy with Harris Data Integrity Solutions, offers strategies for addressing the challenges hospital mergers and acquisitions pose for maintaining the integrity of patient information.
In addition to reading our e-newsletter, be sure to visit For The Record’s website at www.fortherecordmag.com. We welcome your feedback at edit@gvpub.com. Follow For The Record on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, too.
— Kate Jackson, editor |
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Person Matching: Navigating Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions
By Megan Pruente, MPH, RHIA
Hospital merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has risen significantly during the past decade as health care leaders seek to increase value, achieve economies of scale, and improve patient care and outcomes. The challenges for HIM leadership are the complexities M&A creates in terms of managing and maintaining the master person/patient index (MPI).
The key to successfully navigating the complexities of MPI management before, during, and after a merger is the implementation of best practices for data conversion planning, employing effective person matching strategies, and leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to resolve duplicate records.
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HIPAA Rules Stand Even in Weather Emergencies
Some practices believe that HIPAA regulations are suspended in cases of hurricanes and other public emergencies, but, as MedCentral reports, that’s a misunderstanding. Health and Human Services, however, has the option to waive certain HIPAA provisions and penalties.
New Rules About Substance Use Disorder Records
Healio reports on what providers need to know about Health and Human Services’ changes to substance use confidentiality regulations.
Health Care Security Complexity
In an article in HIT Consultant, Kevin Kirkwood, chief information security officer at Exabeam, explores complexity as the root of health care’s cybersecurity challenges.
Reporting Delays Affecting Colonoscopy Screening Results
According to an article in Medscape, a new analysis suggests that the impact of colonoscopy on colorectal cancer risk in the NordICC trial was underestimated due to delays in reporting to cancer registries. |
Have a coding or documentation question? Get an expert answer by sending an email to edit@gvpub.com.
This month’s selection:
A recent conversation came up amongst our auditing team and we can locate no particular guidance. The team is of two minds: 1) the CPT definition of evaluation and management (E/M) total time cannot possibly apply to gynecology clinic services because of how those services have historically been reported, and 2) total time simply cannot serve as the basis of E/M selection in the gynecology clinic when any of these additional services are furnished.
AMA defines total time relative to evaluation and management services as not inclusive of “any time spent in the performance of other separately reported service(s)” (CPT, 13). Our question is: how should we interpret this statement in relation to gynecology clinic services, such as pelvic examinations and Pap smears? CPT code 99459 (pelvic examination, list separately in addition to code for primary procedure), HCPCS codes Q0091 (screening Pap smear; obtaining, preparing, & conveyance of cervical or vaginal smear to laboratory), Q0111 (wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical, or skin specimens), and Q0112 (all potassium hydroxide [KOH] preparation) are often furnished to patients in the gynecology clinic concurrent with evaluation and management services. The nature of these services, when performed, is such that they possess an overlapping relationship with the evaluation and management service. At the same time, if selecting E/M services based off time, what would be the most compliant documentation to support the E/M level?
Any advice or assistance is appreciated.
Kevin Blane Shields, D.Arts, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P
HIMS Facility Educator (MRA)
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UpToDate
Wolters Kluwer’s UpToDate platform, an evidence-based clinical decision support resource, is used by more than 2 million clinicians and 44,000 institutions. The company is now partnering with Abridge to integrate UpToDate into Abridge’s AI-based medical note-taking tool, providing access to the latest clinical decision support information, helping reduce the administrative burden on clinicians and improve care for patients. Learn more »
New Report on Cybersecurity Trends
NCC Group has released the second edition of its Global Cybersecurity Policy Radar, which explores new laws and regulations, recent policy developments, and things to look for in the months ahead. Learn more » |
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