American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: patient cards

In its simplest form, a patient card is a credit card sized record made of paper or plastic that contains identification information. A card may contain additional information, such as insurance or limited health information. Of the many technologies available, chip cards and optical cards are best suited for use in healthcare. If their expense can be justified and nation-wide standards established, cards could help improve timely access to basic health information such as demographic, insurance, and basic medical information needed for emergency treatment. Technology may permit a patient's entire longitudinal (lifetime) health history to be maintained on a card, but this should not be the only source of the longitudinal record. To assure its accessibility to legitimate users throughout the healthcare system, the longitudinal health record must be a computer-based patient record maintained on a controlled access network.     

American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: Healthcare reform

The use of electronic data interchange for claims processing and the development of the computer-based patient record will allow for the reduction of administrative costs of our healthcare system. AHIMA will continue to collaborate with the public and private sector in the implementation of the recommendations of the IOM report and the WEDI report.     

American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: quality management and improvement in healthcare reform

Healthcare providers have long been proponents of high quality, cost-efficient patient care services. The healthcare reform plan proposed by President Clinton acknowledges these long-standing priorities through the formation of a nationwide healthcare Quality Management Program. Implementation of an effective Quality Management process in all sectors of healthcare services will require dedication and innovation from all members of the healthcare team, including health information management professionals. Providers must accept responsibility for collecting reasonable data to develop reliable and statistically valid quality and performance measures. Healthcare consumers must shoulder the responsibility of interpreting the data accurately and using it responsibly. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the members of its Quality Assurance Section are committed to working with applicable state and federal agencies, professional associations, and accrediting agencies to achieve the quality and performance measurement objectives of healthcare reform. Through these alliances, AHIMA and the Quality Assurance Section can assist the nation's healthcare providers, health plans, health alliances, and consumers in making sound judgments about quality and cost.     

American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: Educational clinical affiliations

In the realm of health information management, the clinical affiliation refers to the course(s) in which the student reports to a healthcare facility and experiences planned activities in the environment of the actual workplace. The provision for technical and managerial experiences is an integral component of the curricula. The importance of the clinical affiliation to health information management education is immeasurable. Through the application of didactic learning, the theories of health information management are reinforced, the dynamics of the workplace are observed, and the realistic dimension of the profession is added. No amount of classroom simulation can replace it. Objectives of an affiliation should include but are not limited to: 1) development of the student as a person responsible for actions and outcomes, 2) acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed for entry level competency, 3) recognition of the needs of patients and clients, and 4) adherence to the mission, policies, and procedures of an organization.     

American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: physician signatures on attestations

Currently, payment under Medicare's prospective payment system requires that a physician sign an attestation statement on each Medicare patient, attesting to the diagnoses and procedures recorded for that patient. This requirement places a significant administrative burden on both healthcare facilities and physicians, without adding any value to the claims process. AHIMA believes this requirement should be eliminated. Physicians should continue to be responsible for recording complete, accurate, and timely information (including final diagnoses and procedures) in the patient's health record. Healthcare facilities and their health information management professionals should be held responsible for reporting complete and accurate diagnoses and procedures based on official coding guidelines and documentation in the patient's health record. Sufficient penalties exist for healthcare facilities and physicians who submit fraudulent claims, without subjecting all physicians and healthcare facilities to this administrative burden, which adds unnecessarily to the cost of healthcare.     

American Health Information Management Association. Position statement. Issue: managing health information in facility mergers and acquisitions

Patients trust their healthcare providers to respect their privacy, maintain the confidentiality of their health information, and assure its availability for their continuing care. When healthcare facilities close or medical practices dissolve, providers must be concerned with the protection of health information. Procedures for disposition of patient records must take several factors into consideration, including: state laws regarding record retention and statutes of limitation; state licensing standards; Medicare requirements; federal laws governing treatment for alcohol and drug abuse (if applicable); guidelines issued by professional organizations; and the needs and wishes of patients. In some states, a state archive or health department will store health records from closed facilities. Generally, state regulations recommend records be transferred to another healthcare provider. If a healthcare facility or medical practice is sold to another healthcare provider, patient records may be considered assets and included in the sale of the property. If a facility closes or a practice dissolves without a sale, records should be transferred to another healthcare provider which agrees to accept the responsibility. If this is not feasible, records may be archived with a reputable commercial storage firm. Before records are transferred to an archive or another provider, patients should be notified, if possible, and given an opportunity to obtain copies of their health information. This may be done by publishing a series of notices in the local newspaper. Regardless of the archival method used, the provider must assure that the integrity and confidentiality of the patient health records will be maintained and that the records are accessible to the patient and other legitimate users.