Strategies for dealing with the national coding shortage.

Steps providers should consider to deal with a national coding shortage and implementation of ICD-10 include the following: Concentrate on employee retention (consider retention bonuses; upgrade pay scales; and offer flex-time and flexible work schedules). Begin a training program for ICD-10. Target other healthcare professionals and current employees to transition into coding positions. Collaborate with colleges, high schools, and middle schools to draw prospective students to this career path and your organization.

A shortage of health information management professionals: how would we know?

The introduction of computers, the expansion of health insurance coverage through employers and government programs, and the increased use of personal health information have created a demand for a new breed of qualified medical record and health information personnel. The health information management workforce, which is entrusted with accurately coding, maintaining, storing, managing, analyzing, and disseminating all personal health information created from health care encounters, is reportedly in short supply. Given the complexity in defining and enumerating the profession, it is challenging to determine if such a shortage exists. There is a lack of uniformity across scope of practice, job titles, educational paths, and credentials. We report selected findings from a study of the health information management profession in North Carolina illustrating the methodologic problems encountered when measuring the supply and demand of this workforce. A case is made that greater standardization across these multiple facets of the profession would be beneficial to the workforce, and we offer recommendations on how this could be accomplished.

Allied health applicant pools and employment opportunities--1987.

This study sought information relative to student capacity and enrollment, quality of applicants, numbers in the applicant pool, and program directors' estimates of the job market and salaries, as well as overall impressions of their respective professions in six allied health disciplines: medical technology, physical therapy, radiologic technology, occupational therapy, dietetics/nutrition, and medical record administration. Of 105 four-year colleges and universities surveyed, 252 programmatic responses were received from 83 institutions (79% response rate). Generally, the status of these six allied health professions appeared very good, with a 2 to 1 overall ratio of applicants to graduates, and an almost 6 to 1 ratio in physical therapy. The average GPA for incoming allied health students was 3.01. Job opportunities were considered plentiful, and 93% of program directors rated the overall outlook for their respective professions as good to excellent. However, there were four areas that program officials may wish to examine more closely: excessive length of some professional programs, numbers of minorities in the institutions surveyed, entry-level salaries for several professions, and a somewhat less positive atmosphere in medical technology as compared to the other five disciplines.

AHRA survey: film library practices.

Presented here are the highlights of the Film Library Practices Report, taken from the 92-page report published by the AHRA in November 1996. Administrators may find information useful for improving their departments, which function most efficiently with smooth running libraries. The survey of AHRA members covers such topics as staffing, storage, copy policies, PACS and problem areas.

Cutting medical transcription costs.

Home-based, production-based medical transcription represents a substantial cost-saving opportunity. Fewer employees are required. Office space is not needed. Outsourcing costs are eliminated. Turnaround time is reduced.

No place like home.

To ease staffing burdens, Seton Healthcare Network established a home coding program. DNFB claims pending the health information management department's code assignment consistently decreased, reducing the organization's dollars holding by 25 percent. Decreases in contract and as-needed labor contributed to an operational cost savings of about $200,000 per year. The organization was able to fill all of its coding vacancies.

Coder shortage goes straight to the bottom line.

An increase in accounts receivable or outstanding days to collect payment could be a sign that you have a shortage of medical coders. Fewer people are choosing the profession because of the growing complexity and heavier workloads. However, experts say hospitals must confront the problem or risk losing millions of dollars in unbilled charges.