Review the Case Scenario and Assumptions for Case Study #2 The Remote Health Information Management Departmen

Scenario:

The HIM department at University Hospital is running out of space for all of its employees. The department is not physically located on the same property as the main hospital so many functions within the department are managed at a remote site. Lindsey, the director of HIM, has been networking with some of her HIM colleagues and found that many have their employees work remotely. Lindsey reports to the chief financial officer (CFO) who feels that Lindsey should perform a thorough analysis of all the job functions prior to assigning all of her workforce to work from home. The CFO also feels that further research should be performed by Lindsey in regard to the best practices associated with a remote HIM workforce. The current functions performed by the HIM department are outlined below along with general information about the typical tasks for each function and the number of staff performing the tasks.

HIM function:

HIM staff management

• Communicates with employees via email and in-person meetings.
• Utilizes electronic systems for managing and assigning work performed by employees.

Coding:

• Coding all inpatient and outpatient encounter utilizing the her.
• All coding lists are managed electronically by coding staff and the coding manager.

Transcription:

• Reports are electronically interfaced into the HER by the transcription vendor.

Release of information:

• ROI coordinators perform the ROI function utilizing the EHR. There are still some paper records on site and at remote storage. ROI coordinators retrieve information as needed and make paper or electronic copies. ROI staff also manage the patient information desk and handle in-person and phone requests.

Chart Completion:

• All chart completion processes are managed utilizing electronic worklists.
• Chart completion analysts contact physicians regarding online chart completion via a work basket.

Data Quality:

• Duplicate record clean up.
• Coding quality analysis.
• Interface management of scanned documents.
• All of these tasks are performed utilizing electronic worklists.

Document imaging and chart management:

• All imaging documents that cannot be created electronically are performed by the document imaging staff.
• Chart management clerks pull paper records and charts for ROI and for caregivers as requested.
• The portion of paper records on site has decreased over the past few years.

Deliverables:

1. Create a report (no longer than two pages) to the CFO that outlines which HIM functions could be managed from home and which functions will need to stay located within the HIM offices. Research the best practices associated with the functions that are selected to be managed from home and explain how to incorporate these practices into managing a remote workforce. Evaluate whether or not HIM management staff can work remotely as well and if so, outline the portion of time each manager may work at home. Provide appropriate references for the researched articles.