The HIM professional has been employed for a large healthcare delivery system for over eight years and had developed strong collaborative relationships with various medical staff leaders.  As part of this professional's job duties, s/he generates a quarterly quality metric report on patient care; the report includes such indicators as nosocomial infection rates, readmission rates, unplanned surgical returns, etc. This report includes the clinical quality metric from NQF for assessing emergency room throughput time.  In preparation for an upcoming meeting, one of the medical staff (physician) leaders is reviewing the report prior to committee presentation and notes that one metric is higher than usual. This does not represent the ER Department in a favorable manner.  The physician explains that this aberration was due to a shortage of physician personnel during this time and it not an accurate reflection of what is normal practice.  The physician asks for the data item for the metric to be removed.  When the meeting is held, the report has been manipulated to exclude the aforementioned metric. 

 

1. What was the HIM professional's actions that resulted in an ethics violation being brought forward?

2. Explain at least two AHIMA Ethical Code principles have been violated.

3. What is the potential harm to the health care organization as a result of the act?

4. What potential actions could the health care organization take to address the ethics violation?