ortho query response

For those who have good response rates, how are you accomplishing this?

Our ortho group has always had a low CC/MCC capture rate. They recently renegotiated a contract and one of the metrics included was that they must sign queries in 48hrs (this actually was NOT CDI driven). Of course now that they went live with this they are realizing how complex this is (and complaining to us). The issues mainly surround their work schedules. Several of them are often not in house for days/weeks at a time. They don't get into our EHR from their offices, etc. Our queries are electronic so they argue they don't know when they are placed until they came back into the facility.

Is this something you see at your facilities? Do your orthopods have a different schedule/workflow or how do you get around this? Do they respond when they are in the office/off service? Are they just more engaged and 'bought in' then ours?

On one hand I understand that 48hrs might be unreasonable for some of them. On the other hand, these charts are often coded within 2 days of discharge so if they have an outstanding query and the coder doesn't hold, we potentially lose SOI/ROM on these patients. And we all know how important this is right now....

Thanks!

Katy Good, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
Clinical Documentation Program Coordinator
AHIMA Approved ICD-10CM/PCS Trainer
Flagstaff Medical Center
Kathryn.Good@nahealth.com
Cell: 928.814.9404

Comments

  • edited April 2016
    If it’s in their contract, they want to comply now. Maybe they can appoint an office manager of their practice as a contact person and at the time you issue the query you send a copy to the office manager, or at least the patient that you issued the query to. THEN the burden can be on their office to figure out how to track it. If it effects their bottom line they will probably just get used to responding, even if it is due to their office managers contact.

    Just a thought.

    Ann


  • edited April 2016
    That sounds like a great idea Ann. One option we use Katy, is text paging.
    If we know the physician is going to be off for his/her 7 day break, we will text page them to check their queries.
    Fortunately for us, they have remote access via their home computers/I phones etc.

    If you find that the query response is that critical, (and for us it is), you may want to investigate a means to answer queries remotely.
    Good Luck
    Lisa

  • We have done similar things. We now notify their NP when we place a query so that she can let them know directly. We offered to call/text ourselves but this was their preference. They do have access to our EMR remotely (office/home), they just don’t do it. They (of course) find the whole process cumbersome and a bit ridiculous and feel like they are being asked to go above and beyond what should be expected. I am trying to assess if there is something about our process or their workflow that actually makes it more difficult for them to comply or whether the obstacles they are complaining about are present everywhere and they are just having trouble adjusting to current standards.

    Lisa, what EMR are you using that allows them access from their phone? I don’t think ours can do that.

    Thank you!

    Katy Good, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
    Clinical Documentation Program Coordinator
    AHIMA Approved ICD-10CM/PCS Trainer
    Flagstaff Medical Center
    Kathryn.Good@nahealth.com
    Cell: 928.814.9404

  • edited April 2016
    Katy,
    Our queries are actually placed in McKesson HPF. Our physicians use an HCare portal and our IT department assists them with access.

  • Lisa,
    Are you willing to give me a bit more information on the mobile access or perhaps give me a contact with IT that could explain how this works? You can email me privately at the address below.

    Thanks!

    Katy Good, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
    Clinical Documentation Program Coordinator
    AHIMA Approved ICD-10CM/PCS Trainer
    Flagstaff Medical Center
    Kathryn.Good@nahealth.com
    Cell: 928.814.9404

  • edited April 2016
    i am interested as well please



    Deanne Wilk

    dwilk@gshleb.org

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