You are the Director of a Health Information Management Department at a mid-sized hospital. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic you have been tasked with writing a policy outlining the steps your facility (including the HIM department) will take regarding any infectious disease outbreak. Given this unprecedented situation, there is not a current policy in place so this will be an original work. You must include federal, state and local requirements and cite at least five legally authoritative sites. Additionally, after the policy has been written, you are responsible for developing the procedures to implement this policy.

This policy must address any required changes for the facility including electronic health record, the facility's patient portal, coding, telemedicine, chargemaster, patient registration and billing, and any other areas you deem necessary. The policy must identify changes to the current operating procedures as well as actions necessary to incorporate these required changes at your facility. You must delineate the "who, what, where and when" with regard to the changes you are making.

Think in terms of everything that has changed with this pandemic. Some examples of changes are:

Telehealth appointments (including scheduling of appointments and patient privacy issues that go along with telehealth) are now prevalent.

Increase in webinar meetings (via Zoom, Skype, etc.) in general for your facility and HIM department staff. Some facility employees are working remote for the first time and in most areas of the facility only essential employees are allowed to work on-site so privacy issues must be addressed for all remote and on-site workers.

Social distancing guidelines creating new challenges for patient admissions and visitors, cafeteria/waiting/lounge areas, employee scheduling, as well as patient care in general.

Patient portals including the email feature within the portal are being utilized.

ICD-10-CM codes for COVID-19 have been created so the chargemaster must reflect these changes as well as any changes for new treatment and testing.

Ask yourself - who will perform the duties of the HIM department? What about sanitizing/cleaning of the department? New dress codes to include the use of masks?