July 2021

How to Build an In-House Coding Department

By Lisa A. Eramo, MA for For the Record HIM experts share insights and lessons learned. When patient volumes decreased temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, coders at Georgia Cancer Specialists in Atlanta forged ahead with whatever noncoding tasks could be done. They ran reports, pulled data, and educated providers as needed. Leonta Williams, MBA, RHIA,…

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Google CEO: AI is more influential than discovery of fire

By Hannah Mitchell for Becker’s Hospital Review Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, said artificial intelligence’s social benefit is among the likes of fire, electricity and the internet, according to a BBC podcast interview published July 11. Five things to know: “The progress in artificial intelligence, we are still in very early stages, but I viewed it…

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Nearly 15 million people missed 2nd COVID-19 shot, CDC says

By Maia Anderson for Becker’s Hospital Review Almost 15 million people have missed their second COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to CDC data cited by The Washington Post. That number means nearly 11 percent of people who had sufficient time to get their second dose missed the ideal window, the Post reported July 2. That is an increase from…

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Healthcare Workers Sue Amazon Over Potential HIPAA Violations With Alexa Device

By Emma Mayer for Newsweek A lawsuit against Amazon was filed this week by some healthcare workers who allege that their Alexa devices have been recording their conversations. Healthcare IT News reported that four plaintiffs believe their Amazon Alexa devices may have seized information, such as private conversations with patients, that are HIPAA protected. “Amazon’s…

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Certain ICD-10 Codes Often Precede Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis

For Health Day FRIDAY, June 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Certain International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes are recorded more frequently before the initial diagnosis in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with patients with other autoimmune diseases or individuals without these diseases, according to a study published in the June 15…

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More hospitals poised to require COVID-19 vaccines

By Samantha Liss for Healthcare Dive More hospitals are likely to require employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine, experts said, to further protect the sick and vulnerable patients who rely on them for care. A Houston-area hospital captured headlines after taking a firm stance on requiring vaccines that prevent severe illness of the coronavirus, which has…

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