Peer to Peer Mentoring: Health Information Management Students

"You Picked the Right One"

2011-10-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Once in a while I need a little reassurance that I chose the right field of study. Do you find yourself in the midst of midterms or finals feeling sleep deprived and overwhelmed? Often thinking, why am I doing this to myself?

I think we’ve made the best decision in choosing Health Information Technology or Health Information Management. For example, recently HIM listed number 4 out of 9 hot college majors.

The following is US News and World Report list of 9 Hot College Majors:

1. Biomedical Engineering

2. Computer Game Design

3. Environmental Studies/Sustainability

4. Health Informatics/Information Management

5. Homeland Security

6. Information Assurance/Cyber Security

7. Nanotechnology

8. New Media

9. Public Health

Wait a minute. Did you notice that nursing is not on this list?

A few years ago, nursing was considered the hottest major. I nearly killed myself trying to compete for placement in a nursing program. On top of that, I was finally accepted and completed 3 semesters of the program before I changed majors and earned an associate of applied science degree in Health Information Technology.

Many HIM students were once competing to enter a nursing program. You could say we found HIM by accident - or it was your 2^nd choice after nursing – or you immediately felt HIM was a better fit.

I’ve talked to a few nurses at the hospital where I work. Surprisingly, they usually ask me how to get into medical records. The first thing I tell them is that we are no longer considered the medical records department. Then I go into my lecture about the many opportunities from medial coding to quality improvement managers.

Thus my fellow cohorts, we’ve definitely found the perfect field of study. Cheers to another long night of studying the advance concepts of HIM or the legal aspects of HIM. Happy studying!

Link to US News and World Report article: Discover 9 Hot College Majors.

“Manage Yourself”

2011-10-21T00:43:00.001-07:00

Some college students tend to put their personal health at the bottom of their priority list. Although we may know the keys to maintaining a healthy lifestyle - while juggling family, classes, and work – reminders like this article are beneficial.

The video below is brief and a simple reminder to take care of oneself during a semester filled with possibly poor eating choices, lack of exercise, and sleep deprivation.

The overall goal of managing yourself during the semester is to focus on the following:

Getting Organized
Self-Motivation
Coping with Sacrifices
Good Health

Putting your health first will provide you with the energy that is necessary to successfully manage every aspect of your physical and psychological well-being. You may find the following link informative. CDC: Health and Safety for College Students

What is your learning style?

2011-10-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Recently a classmate asked how to study for test taking. Well, it is not recommended that you simply study to pass a course exam. Studying for test taking is storing information in your short term memory and ultimately setting you up for failure.

Keep in mind that one method of studying will not work for everyone. In order to get the best bang out of your studies, you need to know your learning style.

Are you a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner?

Take a quick questionnaire to find out and utilize the tips available on how to enhance your learning.

"Studying the Aspects of HIPAA"

2011-10-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and was implemented in 1996. HIPAA has many components and focuses on Privacy, Transaction & Code Sets, and Security.

Healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses must follow HIPAA laws and regulations. For example, as a HIM professional you must ensure that your facility is HIPAA compliant.

As you may already know, being a HIM professional means you are an advocate for your employer and the patient. Depending on your role, you may be responsible for providing HIPAA training.

You will study the aspects of HIPAA throughout your HIM studies. My best advice to grasping HIPAA’s rules and regulations is to break it into various subtopics. You should master a small component of HIPAA prior to continuing so that you fully understand it.

Understanding the aspects of HIPAA is crucial as you may even see questions related to HIPAA during your credential exams, including the CCS or RHIT.

Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed with your studies. Be creative – make flashcards or PowerPoint slides using your notes.

I found that creating PowerPoint slides were extremely useful in helping to retain the information.

The following video is a brief preview of understanding HIPAA and gives example of HIPAA violations:

"Creating a Personal Health Record"

2011-10-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

Maintaining a PHR is very important, considering that many patients have a number of chronic illnesses and see different physicians for treatment. For example, a patient may be

prescribed medication from their endocrinologist that is contraindicated with other medications prescribed by their primary care provider.

This video explains the importance of patients creating their own Personal Health Record (PHR). Although the video is directed towards consumers, it offers a good description of PHR for health information management students.

Hopefully after viewing this you may be encourage to create your own PHR.

AHIMA Launches Program to Create 40,000 More HIM Jobs

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Headlines like this are a reminder that this is the perfect field of study. HIM professionals are valuable now more than ever.

Federal and state healthcare laws are consistently changing. Employers need HIM professionals to ensure compliance and to keep abreast of the latest in healthcare trends.

This sounds promising and is great news.

To read the full article posted by Health Data Management, click the following link:

AHIMA Launches Program to Create 40,000 More HIM Jobs

“Great Demand for Medical Coders”

2011-10-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Careers in healthcare seem to offer the best job stability in this fickle economy and medical

coders are in demand in the Washington DC metropolitan area. It’s fair to say that healthcare positions will always be in demand because people get sick. At some point it is likely that a person will need to visit their primary care provider, a clinic, or a hospital.

This brief video gives an example of a path towards earning your medical coding credentials. As you embark on your educational journey you have to do a lot of research. Be mindful of various “quick and easy” medical coding and billing programs. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable organization. More importantly, you want to look for schools that are accredited which will be discussed in a future presentation.

In the meantime, get organized and ready to earn your medical coding credentials.

"Coding Alcoholism"

2011-10-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

This presentation is part of the PowerPoint slides I created to help me retain the information I was learning while studying for AHIMA’s coding certification.

I encourage you to make your own PowerPoint slides to help you with your health information management studies.

I was truly surprised how effective this method of studying works. Other study tips include creating flashcards.

"Eager for ICD -10?"

2011-10-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

I can NOT wait to explore ICD - 10. Someone who's been coding for the last 20 years told me that they may retire BEFORE ICD -10 is implemented. While some coders are dreading the change, others are embracing the challenge of preparing for ICD - 10.

I think change is good and say bring it on!

Currently, there are some new graduates who want to code and are having difficulty finding jobs without coding experience. I believe students and new graduates should work towards mastering ICD -10 coding concepts now as many doors of opportunity will open for new coders who are trained in this specialized area. Right now the focus needs to be on anatomy and physiology; pathophysiology; and pharmacology. My advice would be to focus on these key areas while also learning ICD - 10.

According to the American Medical Association, “ICD-10-CM codes are the ones designated for use in documenting diagnoses. They are 3-7 characters in length and total 68,000, while ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are 3-5 digits in length and number over 14,000. The ICD-10-PCS are the procedure codes and they are alphanumeric, 7 characters in length, and total approximately 87,000, while ICD-9-CM procedure codes are only 3-4 numbers in length and total approximately 4,000 codes.” Wow, that is a huge increase in codes.

Physician education related to quality documentation is crucial as we prepare for ICD - 10. There is a lot to be said about physician education on documentation and I will definitely blog about that in the near future.

In the meantime, it is all about ICD -10 Preparedness.

Reference:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/hipaahealth-insurance-portability-accountability-act/transaction-code-set-standards/icd10-code-set.page

"The Time is Now"

2011-10-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

This week is midterms but I took a break from studying to talk about my current goal. I’ve decided to challenge AHIMA’s CCS Certification Exam before the end of this year. I was
complacent with having my RHIT and CCS-P credentials. However, I think now is the right time to add the CCS under my belt. I am very comfortable with inpatient coding and know that I can pass the CCS exam.

So why not take it? Right?

Well, I am always up for a challenge. However, the CCS exam has been modified. There are a few changes and I must admit I am apprehensive about being a guinea pig; hence being amongst the first group to challenge this new exam format.

There is no time like the present to take this exam and with ICD -10 lurking around the corner, more changes are likely to occur with the CCS certification exam. Another benefit of taking the exam before the end of the year is once I’ve earn my CCS certification, I can devote more time to preparing for ICD -10, yay!!!!

The exam is expensive, costing $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members. Therefore, my goal is to pass it the first time. I purchased the Professional Review Guide by Schnering and AHIMA’s CCS study guide. I like the CDs that accompany the books and find them very helpful.

According to AHIMA’s, there are now “Multiple Select” and “ Quantity Fill in the Blank” item types on the new CCS and CCS-P exams – this is in addition to the multiple choice questions. The Multiple Choice question requires selecting the best answer out of 4 options. While the new Multiple Select requires more than one option – you have to choose as many options that are correct. Also, the Quantity Fill in the Blank also requires that more than one answer is given.

Sounds more challenging that the previous version of the exam but if you understand the coding guidelines there is a good chance of successfully passing it. One other notable change with the format is the exam is one continuous exam WITHOUT breaks. The older version of the exam was broken into two parts and you were only allowed your coding book during part two. Now you are allowed to use your code book during the entire exam. I think having the code book during the entire exam is a bonus.

If you are planning on completing the CCS, DO NOT put if off any longer. I recommend that you take the exam as soon as possible, and then focus on ICD -10. The time is definitely now.

For more information on the new CCS & CCS-P exam format visit AHIMA:

http://www.ahima.org/certification/ccs.aspx?Tab=4