How is information collected in the Compare reports for hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies?

You are a quality analyst in a health information management department appointed to lead a project team. Your team must assess the problem with the documentation of the patient’s discharge disposition status in the health record. An increasing number of errors have been reported and frustration among the coders has risen. These coders claim that conflicting information is often present in the record, requiring them to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to obtain verification. Coding productivity has been affected. How would you assess the problem? Give examples of tools to use in a meeting, some ideas that may develop, and a study mechanism.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Name the stages in which data quality errors found in a health record most commonly occur.

2. What are the steps in the quality improvement model, and how is benchmarking involved?

3. What agency is focused on developing the scientific evidence used in decision making?

4. When should a histogram be used to display data?

5. How do performance improvement and risk management relate to database management?

6. Identify the tools that could be used when a group needs to develop new ideas or organize the performance improvement project.

7. How would an organization examine its internal performance under ORYX?

8. How is information collected in the Compare reports for hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies?

9. During what stage of the utilization review process is the appropriateness of the admission assessed?

10. Why is it important to have accurate and clear documentation of the patient’s discharge status?