Benchmark Coder Productivity to Improve Efficiency and Justify FTEs

Audio Conference on CD or Audio On-Demand

Sponsored by: Medical Records Briefings

presented on August 18, 2009

A program for HIM directors and physician practice managers

PROBLEM

Do your current full-time employees (FTE) keep your hospital or physician practice running efficiently? Are you looking for ways to justify additional FTEs? How can you establish fair productivity standards that accurately reflect your coders' workload? Establishing productivity standards can be difficult because you need to take various factors into account, and there are no "apple to apple" comparisons on which you can base your own requirements. Hospital size and type, record type, and patient volume are just a few of the factors that affect productivity.

SOLUTION

HIM directors and physician practice managers can develop coder productivity standards by learning from their peers as well as taking into account data that drills down into the factors that affect productivity. During this program, our speakers provide highlights from HCPro's national coder productivity benchmark survey as well as a case study of how one facility increased its productivity, thereby reducing its number of bill hold days from 6.8 during a system conversion to 0.8 in fewer than 18 months.

Listen to

HCPro's 90-minute audio conference, Benchmark Coder Productivity to Improve Efficiency and Justify FTEs, featuring speakers Rose T. Dunn, RHIA, CPA, CHPS, FACHE, MBA (First Class Solutions), and Anissa Fabrizio, RHIA, CCS (St. Anthony Central Hospital). Learn the highlights of HCPro's in-depth coder productivity benchmarking survey and find out what factors most affect coding productivity. The presenters drill down into the effects that non-coding duties, bed size, and setting type have on staff members' ability to maintain efficiency.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this audio conference, you will be able to:

• Describe how to develop productivity standards
• Identify how to re-evaluate coding productivity standards when going through a system conversion
• Evaluate benchmarks to help assess performance and justify FTEs

TAKE A LOOK AT THE AGENDA

• Coding productivity: What you need to know to establish standards
  • Data to collect and statistics to consider
  • Different approaches to establishing standards
  • Ways to improve productivity
  • The importance of coder education and skill set
• Selected highlights from HCPro's 2009 coder productivity benchmarking survey
  • Summary of survey results
  • Major factors that affect coding productivity
  • Productivity standards according to bed size
  • Productivity standards according to setting type
• Case study: How one hospital measures coding productivity
  • Establishing and monitoring productivity and quality standards
  • Monitoring and updating standards in light of new technologies and other changes
  • Using standards to justify additional FTEs
  • Correlating standards with discharge-not-final-billed days
• Question and answer session

CONTINUING EDUCATION

This program has prior approval of the American Academy of Professional Coders for 1.5 Continuing Education Units. Granting of this approval in no way constitutes endorsement by the Academy of the program, content or the program sponsor. Credits expire on July 31, 2010.

This program has been approved for 1 continuing education unit for use in fulfilling the continuing education requirements of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Credits expire on August 18, 2010.

BONUS TOOLS

With this audio conference, you'll receive a slide presentation of the program materials and several tools, including:

• Special report that provides highlights from HCPro's benchmarking survey
• Productivity standard development tool
• Weekly data collection sample spreadsheet

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Rose T. Dunn, RHIA, CPA, CHPS, FACHE, MBA, chief operating officer, First Class Solutions (Maryland Heights, MO). Dunn assists clients in improving the operational performance of their HIM, PFS, and Care Management departments. She was vice president at Barnes Hospital (St. Louis) where she was responsible for more than 1,600 employees and new business development, and worked in the managed care industry for MetLife and served as a chief financial officer of a dual hospital system in Illinois.

Anissa Fabrizio, RHIA, CCS, administrative director of HIM and patient access/HIPAA privacy officer, St. Anthony Central Hospital (Denver, CO).St. Anthony Hospitals is part of Centura Health, Colorado's largest family of hospitals and healthcare services and operator of 12 hospitals, seven senior living communities and home care and hospice services. Fabrizio has had various roles within HIM for the past 18 years, and currently serves as the treasurer for the Colorado Health Information Management Association.

WHO SHOULD LISTEN?

Those employed by acute care facilities, clinics, critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, and physician practices, including the following titles:

• Coding manager/supervisor
• HIM director/manager
• Clinic manager/supervisor
• Physician practice manager
• CFO
• Coder
• Human resources

AUDIO ON-DEMAND

In addition to the regular purchase options for HCPro audio conferences, live, CD, or combination packages, we are pleased to offer another option, audio on-demand. Audio on-demand allows you to download the program and play it back at your convenience through your computer or MP3 player. Purchase a CD or audio on-demand of the program and listen when you can. It's also a perfect training tool for new staff or as a refresher for veteran staff.

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