Yesterday, I read the Nov. 23 article on HISTalk about a multi-group practice that went electronic, and then turned its defunct chart storage room into useful office space. The ''before and after'' photos were particularly striking. Pre-scanning, the room is lined with overflowing shelves; post-scanning, it's a cavernous space with a ...

I do not recall where this story originated, but I would like to share it here. A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his ...

As we approach another Thanksgiving, this is the time of year to reflect on the things I am truly thankful for. I am thankful to be in excellent health when so many suffer from chronic medical conditions or life-threatening illnesses. With so many Americans uninsured and with no access to health care, I am thankful that my family has health ...

While researching for my encryption article, ''Are You Secured?'' I was struck by what I would consider a loophole in the breach notification rules. According to the new regulations, when a security breach or theft occurs, the covered entity or business associate must inform the affected patients. If more than 500 people are affected, the ...

I hesitate to mention how long it took me to come up with this title! For nights, I tossed and turned in my hotel bed trying to come up with a catchy, blog-worthy hallmark. I consumed countless sheets of paper, with a myriad of scribbles and mediocre word combinations. I resent those sleepless hours now because it was when I saw a sign as I was ...

November is not only the start of the holiday season, but also the time of year when HIM professionals celebrate Health Information and Technology (HI&T) Week. This is our week to pat ourselves on the back and celebrate the achievements made during the year. I am sure that HIM professionals across the country will showcase their ...

The introductory course I teach in health information technology (HIT) gives students the basics on health information. This week I did a lecture on the diversity of career options available in HIT. Students coming into the program are usually familiar with coding and transcription, but they are not familiar with other ...

Everyone's sick of swine flu (pun not intended, I swear), so apologies in advance for striking up yet another conversation about it, but I couldn't help posting when I heard about post-vaccine monitoring. What? What's that you say? Monitoring? As in data, systems and overall management of what one might call ''health information?'' Surely this ...

My daughter transferred to a new school this year. She had no interest in transferring to this school, but like all parents I overruled her objections so she can be prepared to compete in the highly competitive world we live in.  The curriculum at the new school is extremely challenging. My daughter has homework every day, ...

I'm about to head off to the final round of general sessions at the AHIMA Convention and Exhibit, which means it's time for some overall reflections. The general consensus among attendees has been that this year's sessions have been particularly informative. It's no surprise given the abundance of issues that emerged in the past year. The ICD-10 ...