Remote coding offers practical alternative
Eliminate staffing hassles
Remote coders can be used to bridge the gap created by staffing shortages and fluctuating workloads, but it’s up to HIM managers to ensure that they follow the rules, says Betty Hatten, MHS, senior associate at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Dallas.
"Health care providers should explore the options with remote coders and ensure the coders they hire have the proper credentials and training and apply the right quality assurance procedures to their work," Hatten explains.
Steep fines and lost revenue can result from ineffective documentation, cautions Hatten, a reimbursement consultant specialist in Medicare compliance. "The government is very serious about proper coding," she notes. "If someone accidentally or deliberately chooses the wrong code, it can result in lost revenue or overpayment."
An acute shortage of coders nationwide creates the need for alternatives, says Leslie Ann Fox, MA, RHIA, president and CEO of Care Communications Inc. "In the past several years, hospitals have been having problems keeping coding positions filled. Remote coding can help in two ways. First, contract or temporary coders who work remotely can respond more quickly to fluctuations in workload than coders who must travel to the hospital. Second, hospitals that offer their own coders the opportunity to work from home reduce their turnover of coders," Fox explains. "Hospitals that develop the capacity for remote coding also expand the pool of available coders for temporary coding and for their own coder recruitment."
Hatten agrees that remote coding is a good solution for unexpected backlogs related to staffing issues. "It can get help when you need it," she says. "It buys experienced help when you need it and costs nothing when you don’t need it."
A critical component of the remote process, according to Fox, is having effective access to records. Methods to ensure this include using a bonded carrier to send copies of records, web-based remote coding systems for coders to access record images via the Internet, faxing, or direct access to the hospital’s electronic medical record documents. If an HIM department uses the Internet, it’s important that remote coders dial in to hospital information systems through a Virtual Private Network to enter codes.
Hatten cautions that remote coding makes privacy even more of a concern. "You’re going to have to maintain privacy and confidentiality outside the hospital," she asserts. "Whenever information goes out of a health care provider, you’ve got to make sure you apply a firewall regulating privacy."
Remote coders can be used to bridge the gap created by staffing shortages and fluctuating workloads, but its up to HIM managers to ensure that they follow the rules, says Betty Hatten, MHS, senior associate at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Dallas.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content. TESTING
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