Question

1) Explain how to set the bar for outpatient productivity standards.
2) List the type of outpatient records outpatient coders’ code and identify the highest number of records coded per hour for two of these types.

Answer 1

Explain how to set the bar for outpatient productivity standards.

• Monitor the coders efficiency
• Check the guidelines of proper usage of codes
• Revising the outpatient productivity standards for every particular period of time
• Limit certain coders to code only outpatient records. When same coders code inpatient and outpatient records sometimes errors may occur.
• The coders should be updated with protocols and codes
• Set performance standards for the coders

List the type of outpatient records outpatient coders’ code and identify the highest number of records coded per hour for two of these types

• Ambulatory surgery records per hour
• Inpatient
• Clinic visits report per hour
• Observation cases per hour
• Emergency department records per hour
• Outpatient testing reports per hour ( Interventional and non interventional)

Outpatient testing (non-interventional) records coded:

• Fewer than 20: 8%

• 20 to 25: 19%

• 26 to 31: 12%

• Greater than 31: 13%

• Not applicable (we don’t have a standard or performance expectation): 20%

• Not applicable (we don’t code this record type): 27%

Inpatient records coded per hour:

(ref :Health Information Management hcpro)

• Fewer than three records: 12%

• Three: 30%

• Three and a half to three and three-quarters: 14%

• Four: 10%

• Greater than four: 6%

• Not applicable (we don’t have a standard or performance expectation): 15%

• Not applicable (we don’t code this record type): 14%