• E-News Exclusive
• HIEs Seek a Cash Injection
• HIM Transformers
• Buyer Be Aware of VBCs
• Speech Recognition: Vive la Voice
• Ohio Docs Slow to Join
  E-Prescribing Movement
• Atrium Medical Center Goes Paperless
• Ask the Expert
• Industry Insight

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Ohio Docs Slow to Join E-Prescribing Movement
According to Cleveland.com, the state lags far behind the country’s leaders in e-prescribing, reportedly routing just 4.67% of prescriptions electronically in 2008.

Atrium Medical Center Goes Paperless
The Middletown Journal reports on what the digitization of medical records means for this Ohio facility.

The Internet is one of the most influential technological advances to be realized over the past quarter-century. It’s become engrained in everyday life, and now it’s even making inroads in the health spectrum.

Despite all of the wonders of the Web, there looms inherent privacy concerns, which could be especially disastrous for healthcare organizations. In this month’s E-News Exclusive, a security expert examines steps to avoid such pitfalls.

Safely Connect Your Network, Comply With Government Regulations
By Paul Judge, MD

In April, the University of California, Berkeley reported that hackers accessed the Social Security numbers and health-related data of more than 160,000 students who visited the school’s health services center. This type of data breach is a real possibility for healthcare organizations, as medical records are increasingly being targeted for data theft. Major penalties may be at stake if IT professionals can’t ensure health information is secure.

Like most companies, healthcare organizations have come to rely on the Web as both a source of information and a platform for critical applications. Web 2.0 applications, in particular, are taking off as clinicians, administrators, and patients turn to the Internet to access and share information. Unfortunately, while new Web programs bring advantages in terms of ease of use and collaboration, the Web itself isn’t always safe. Cyber criminals continue to find new ways to capitalize on security holes in Web-based applications and steal medical information.

HIEs Seek a Cash Injection
There’s money to be had for enterprising organizations looking to obtain government funding to bolster the power of health information exchange. Read more

HIM Transformers
As the industry faces innumerable challenges in the years ahead, up-and-comers and veterans alike are emerging to help make a difference. Read more

Buyer Be Aware
The introduction of the visible black character methodology has helped some healthcare organizations make sense of their transcription costs. Nevertheless, experts say HIM managers must still be on the alert for billing errors. Read more

Vive la Voice
Speech-enabled EHRs can help healthcare organizations develop stronger and more rich documentation while limiting the amount of typing required from physicians. Read more

Have a coding or transcription question?
Get an expert answer by sending an e-mail to edit@gvpub.com.

This month’s selection:
What CPT code should be assigned for Coblation inferior nasal turbinate procedure in ambulatory surgery?
 
Feng Zhao, RHIT, CCS
Senior outpatient coding quality specialist
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Washington, D.C.

Response:
The appropriate code assignment is 30801 – Cautery and/or ablation, mucosa of inferior turbinates, unilateral or bilateral, any method; superficial or 30802 if it was intramural.

Paper Urges Deidentified Data Protection

The Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology recently released a paper advocating the need for stronger standards for “deidentified” personal health information when used for medical research, to promote public health, or for other specialized purposes. Stronger standards are needed to ensure that deidentified data cannot be reidentified in order to maintain patient privacy and build trust in the healthcare system.