Week 1 discussion

Principles of Management (graded)

Which of the Principles of Management functions do
you see as the most important? Is one more important than another?
Explain your answer.

What did you learn from the interactive tutorial
about the principles of management that can be applied in the management of an
HIM department?

Sources of Employment Law (graded)

Abu Okari Al-Amin, an African-American man in his
mid-20s, was recently hired by the HIM department to manage its photocopying,
mailing, and office supplies center. In this role Mr. Al-Amin has regular
contact with virtually all of the 25 staff in the department and employees and
some physicians from other adjacent departments. Mr. Al-Amin is quite
articulate, personable, and knowledgeable in his areas of responsibility.
However, his long dreadlocks, Afro-Caribbean clothing style, his playing Reggae
music on his lunch breaks, and (in the words of one white employee with 25
years of seniority) his using of “militant language” seemed to
discomfort or threaten some of the staff.

However, no real problems surfaced until one of the coders, Ms. Joyce Kim, an
older Korean-American woman, filed a complaint with her supervisor, Leah
Solomon, against Mr. Al-Amin for using “dirty” language in her
presence, including the use of ethnic slurs, and otherwise treating her with
disrespect. Ms. Kim also claimed that she smelled what she thought might be
marijuana when he was close to her. The alleged incidents took place with no
other witnesses to corroborate the facts.

Ms. Solomon presented the complaint to Mr. Al-Amin in a one-on-one meeting to
give him the opportunity to respond to the charges. Although Mr. Al-Amin
conceded that he was not comfortable with Koreans because of tension with
Korean Businesses in his neighborhood, he denied that he said anything
disrespectful or abusive to Ms. Kim. He admitted to using some colorful street
language with her that he used regularly with everybody and that no offense had
been intended. He brushed off the reference to any drug use.

Class, as the employee’s supervisor, what steps would you take next to resolve
this issue?

Week 2 discn

Employee Hiring (graded)

Review the You Decide scenario for this week. The
scenario introduction follows.

You are the Director of HIM for ABC Hospital and
are interviewing for a position of Assistant Director. This is a 500-bed, acute
care facility. As has historically been common in many HIM departments, most of
the staff members are Caucasian females, primarily in their 40s and 50s. There
is a night shift supervisor in the department who was hired
immediately after graduating school with a masters degree and RHIA
certification and has limited HIM experience. You know that your hospital
is encouraging more diversity when hiring staff members.
You posted the job opening saying that an RHIT or an RHIA is required
with a strong preference for an RHIA. Preference may be given to those with a
masters degree. Five years of experience in an HIM department is required.

Respond to the questions asked in the You Decide
activity in this discussion, and explain your answer using information learned
in this week’s lecture about hiring and using the employment law issues studied
last week.

Employee Training (graded)

Excessive employee turnover can be a major problem,
with potentially adverse effects on productivity, stability, and employee
morale. Often, turnover in healthcare is greatest in the jobs
characterized by low pay, routine (nonchallenging) work, and limited prospects
for career mobility without increased education and professional credentials
(e.g., filing clerks and nursing home aides).

How does an effective orientation program enhance employee retention?

Week 3 discnn

HIM Departmental Workflow (graded)

Identify office space and workflow considerations
as they relate to the various functions of the department. How will this vary
based on the size of the organization?

HIM Performance Improvement (graded)

Assume you are the manager of an outpatient clinic
that is part of a larger healthcare system. Complaints from patients about your
clinic have recently increased in frequency and intensity. Some of your
patients have complained about long wait times in the reception area. Others
have expressed dismay over the rudeness of clinic staff members. You decide to
talk to the staff members about these problems.

The receptionists are very defensive and say that the secretaries in the back
office won’t help with the phone calls, so they have to take all the calls
while trying to register patients. You talk to the secretaries, and their story
is just as negative. They say that they have been asked to assume more
responsibilities without additional help. They also complain that the
receptionists keep transferring calls to them that the receptionists should
handle.

The nurses are very upset with the secretaries who will not retrieve the
patients’ health records, which causes longer waiting time for patients. The
nurses are also annoyed because the receptionists interrupt their work to ask
questions. The physicians feel that they cannot do anything more because their
days are very chaotic, and they are stressed. They think the solution is to
hire more front office staff.

What performance improvement tool(s) should you use to identify all the
possible reactions as to why patient complaints are increasing? What
performance improvement tool(s) should you use to gather information to confirm
the actual reasons for patient complaints?

Week 4 discn

Productivity Monitoring (graded)

Identify the functions provided by the HIM
department that require productivity to be monitored. Why is this important?
How will the monitoring vary based on the type of healthcare delivery setting?

Health Record Documentation (graded)

Discuss the basic information that is required for
all health record documentation. What documentation will vary, based on the
different healthcare delivery setting?

Week 5 discussions

Survey Preparation (graded)

The hospital is due for a Joint Commission
accreditation survey in 6 months. The CEO asks for a report regarding the
medical staff’s compliance with The Joint Commission requirements for
delinquent records for last year. He or she wishes to avoid a citation
related to the number of delinquent records.

What, exactly, is the information that the CEO requests, and why is this
important to not only the everyday operations of the HIM department, but also
to the survey?

Health Care Registry Development
(graded)

Find examples of diabetes registries on the
internet.

What is the purpose of the registry, how is the data obtained, and how is the
data used in the management of diabetes?

Week 1 discussionPrinciples of Management (graded)Which of the Principles of Management functions do
you see as the most important? Is one more important than another?
Explain your answer.

What did you learn from the interactive tutorial
about the principles of management that can be applied in the management of an
HIM department?Sources of Employment Law (graded)Abu Okari Al-Amin, an African-American man in his
mid-20s, was recently hired by the HIM department to manage its photocopying,
mailing, and office supplies center. In this role Mr. Al-Amin has regular
contact with virtually all of the 25 staff in the department and employees and
some physicians from other adjacent departments. Mr. Al-Amin is quite
articulate, personable, and knowledgeable in his areas of responsibility.
However, his long dreadlocks, Afro-Caribbean clothing style, his playing Reggae
music on his lunch breaks, and (in the words of one white employee with 25
years of seniority) his using of “militant language” seemed to
discomfort or threaten some of the staff.

However, no real problems surfaced until one of the coders, Ms. Joyce Kim, an
older Korean-American woman, filed a complaint with her supervisor, Leah
Solomon, against Mr. Al-Amin for using “dirty” language in her
presence, including the use of ethnic slurs, and otherwise treating her with
disrespect. Ms. Kim also claimed that she smelled what she thought might be
marijuana when he was close to her. The alleged incidents took place with no
other witnesses to corroborate the facts.

Ms. Solomon presented the complaint to Mr. Al-Amin in a one-on-one meeting to
give him the opportunity to respond to the charges. Although Mr. Al-Amin
conceded that he was not comfortable with Koreans because of tension with
Korean Businesses in his neighborhood, he denied that he said anything
disrespectful or abusive to Ms. Kim. He admitted to using some colorful street
language with her that he used regularly with everybody and that no offense had
been intended. He brushed off the reference to any drug use.

Class, as the employee’s supervisor, what steps would you take next to resolve
this issue?Week 2 discnEmployee Hiring (graded)Review the You Decide scenario for this week. The
scenario introduction follows.

You are the Director of HIM for ABC Hospital and
are interviewing for a position of Assistant Director. This is a 500-bed, acute
care facility. As has historically been common in many HIM departments, most of
the staff members are Caucasian females, primarily in their 40s and 50s. There
is a night shift supervisor in the department who was hired
immediately after graduating school with a masters degree and RHIA
certification and has limited HIM experience. You know that your hospital
is encouraging more diversity when hiring staff members.
You posted the job opening saying that an RHIT or an RHIA is required
with a strong preference for an RHIA. Preference may be given to those with a
masters degree. Five years of experience in an HIM department is required.

Respond to the questions asked in the You Decide
activity in this discussion, and explain your answer using information learned
in this week’s lecture about hiring and using the employment law issues studied
last week.Employee Training (graded)Excessive employee turnover can be a major problem,
with potentially adverse effects on productivity, stability, and employee
morale. Often, turnover in healthcare is greatest in the jobs
characterized by low pay, routine (nonchallenging) work, and limited prospects
for career mobility without increased education and professional credentials
(e.g., filing clerks and nursing home aides).

How does an effective orientation program enhance employee retention?Week 3 discnnHIM Departmental Workflow (graded)Identify office space and workflow considerations
as they relate to the various functions of the department. How will this vary
based on the size of the organization?HIM Performance Improvement (graded)Assume you are the manager of an outpatient clinic
that is part of a larger healthcare system. Complaints from patients about your
clinic have recently increased in frequency and intensity. Some of your
patients have complained about long wait times in the reception area. Others
have expressed dismay over the rudeness of clinic staff members. You decide to
talk to the staff members about these problems.

The receptionists are very defensive and say that the secretaries in the back
office won’t help with the phone calls, so they have to take all the calls
while trying to register patients. You talk to the secretaries, and their story
is just as negative. They say that they have been asked to assume more
responsibilities without additional help. They also complain that the
receptionists keep transferring calls to them that the receptionists should
handle.

The nurses are very upset with the secretaries who will not retrieve the
patients’ health records, which causes longer waiting time for patients. The
nurses are also annoyed because the receptionists interrupt their work to ask
questions. The physicians feel that they cannot do anything more because their
days are very chaotic, and they are stressed. They think the solution is to
hire more front office staff.

What performance improvement tool(s) should you use to identify all the
possible reactions as to why patient complaints are increasing? What
performance improvement tool(s) should you use to gather information to confirm
the actual reasons for patient complaints?Week 4 discn

Productivity Monitoring (graded)Identify the functions provided by the HIM
department that require productivity to be monitored. Why is this important?
How will the monitoring vary based on the type of healthcare delivery setting?

Health Record Documentation (graded)Discuss the basic information that is required for
all health record documentation. What documentation will vary, based on the
different healthcare delivery setting?Week 5 discussionsSurvey Preparation (graded)The hospital is due for a Joint Commission
accreditation survey in 6 months. The CEO asks for a report regarding the
medical staff’s compliance with The Joint Commission requirements for
delinquent records for last year. He or she wishes to avoid a citation
related to the number of delinquent records.

What, exactly, is the information that the CEO requests, and why is this
important to not only the everyday operations of the HIM department, but also
to the survey?Health Care Registry Development
(graded)Find examples of diabetes registries on the
internet.

What is the purpose of the registry, how is the data obtained, and how is the
data used in the management of diabetes?