A. Use the skills/experience and education of the six professionals to reflect on the HIM Challenges below. Determine which HIM professional you would recruit to work on this challenge with you. Explain how their skills/experience/education will apply or be useful in the challenge.

Inpatient Coder

Health Information Management Director

Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist

Software Integration Engineer

Electronic Health Records Manager

Chief Financial Officer

B. Next, research government publications (.gov websites) to identify causes or issues that contribute to this kind of problem. For example, what person/process/system failed and contributed to this HIM challenge? Make inferences and find evidence to support input. (At least one resource should be cited, and a proper resource page created for each scenario.)

C. Finally, present a brief step-by-step solution to resolve the challenge using the identified professional(s) skills and support your idea with the research you completed. (You are NOT solving the challenge, you are recording brief steps needed to resolve the issue.)

1. HIM challenge- Cancer Registrar: The cancer registrar, Steve, at Sunny Medical, is pleased to have received notice that the cancer program has achieved accreditation from the American College of Surgeons. As part of the accredited cancer program, Sunny Medical must submit all annual cancer data to the National Cancer Database using the cancer registry software, just as all accredited programs do. Greer, however, has no idea how to gather up all cases to submit electronically to the National Cancer Database. This is an HIM challenge.

2. HIM challenge- Revenue Cycle Team: There are operational issues in the Revenue Cycle at Sunny Medical. A Revenue Cycle team must be formed to engage all the leaders in the Revenue Cycle. The team will allow for the sharing of recent information, such as:

• A problem occurred, and a discussion was necessary to determine if it originated in any one of the three departments composing the Revenue Cycle
• A patient issue was uncovered, and resolution either needed one of the three departments or involved one of the three departments
• New staff, new process, new software shared with Revenue Cycle.

These weekly meetings will help reinforce the Revenue Cycle's functionality by keeping communication lines open and flowing. Who will organize the Revenue Cycle team, who will join the team? This is an HIM Challenge.

3. HIM challenge- Data Dictionary: The data dictionary considers the fields used for electronic data and proposes a compromise that attempts to bring the old system together with the new system. At the time of EHR go-live at Sunny Medical, the coders had always entered their initials when they opened an account and continued to do so with the new EHR. However, the EHR would not pass the coded account to the billing system even though they were coded and complete. The research found that the EHR was asking for a 'coder ID#,' and the coded accounts were deemed incomplete without that number. Therefore, a data dictionary was needed to set up a coder ID# table. Then coders will need to be trained to use it PLUS to correct all previously coded accounts and be updated and pushed through to billing again. This is an HIM challenge.

4. HIM challenge- Record completion rate: Each month, the HIM department must determine its Record Completion Rate to determine if the required rate from state regulation was being met. If the rate was not being met, corrections in the HIM department must be made to get the Record Completion Process right. A report was needed - the Record Completion Rate Report - the percentage of patient admissions from the previous 30 days with complete records. (Complete record meaning all documentation and all signatures/dates.) How would this be completed with the new EHR at Sunny Medical, and what steps need to be taken to meet the rate regularly? This is an HIM Challenge.