2
Health Information Management – C818
Telemedicine and COVID-19 with HIM
Task 1
A. velop an introduction for your capstone in which you do the following:
1. Describe your chosen topic within the field of HIM.
In view of the fact that COVID-19 was a new disease that was rapidly spreading,
the healthcare community was not only scrambling to minimize the spread of the disease,
but many facilities and physician offices were scrambling to meet the demands of
staffing, and struggling to maintain an adequate supply of PPE. An effective COVID-19
response pivots on the accuracy and completeness of the health information collected and
reported during the response. At the start of the pandemic, HIM professionals were not
functionally positioned to handle the information management constraints caused by
COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of the use of
Telemedicine by a number of physicians. The use of Telemedicine is needed to
effectively evaluate and care for patients without the risk of exposing the staff or other
patients to COVID-19. In response to the change in the way health care is delivered
during a pandemic, recent policy changes have reduced barriers to telehealth access,
however, the HIM staff is still responsible for maintaining the security and privacy of
, 2
patient information. The onset of the pandemic has also intensified documentation,
reporting, and coding requirements related to COVID-19 for the HIM staff. The
introduction of COVID-19 resulted in a world-wide pandemic requiring effective health
information management and accurate data reporting.
2. Explain why you chose the topic.
I chose this topic because I worked as a HIM\Credentialing Manager before and
during the COVID-19 pandemic. I assisted patients and family members with gaining
access to our facilities patient portal. I also participated with conducting virtual patient
, 2
visitation because all visitation was ceased at the onset of the pandemic. I personally
experienced the documentation, coding, ROI, and reporting challenges of COVID-19
before and after guidance was introduced. I will analyze the level of impact and change
COVID-19 has on the use of Telemedicine in regards to the roll of the HIM staff. I will
also point out some challenges the HIM staff experience when using Telemedicine.
HIM professionals experienced constraints such as navigating the complexities of the
health information collected, molding policies around using Telemedicine, and
obtaining continuous guidance regarding reporting, coding, and reimbursement of
COVID-19 and related illnesses.
3. Explain why you chose your research methodology (e.g., case study,
meta- analysis of data).
The research methodology I have chosen is meta-analysis. It is necessary for me
to review documentation completed by other facilities, organizations, professional
journals and articles that has recently experienced the use of Telemedicine during the
COVID-19 pandemic. I synthesized existing material about experiences and challenges
HIM professionals endured during the COVID-19 and the use of Telemedicine. It also
researched regulatory federal and state requirements created especially for the use of
Telemedicine during COVID-19. I researched literature that was intended for HIM
staff and COVID-19, HIM staff and Telemedicine and a combination of both.
4. Discuss why the topic is important to the field of HIM.
Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic is important to ensure the
continued care and management of patient health. HIM staff is responsible for making
Health Information Management – C818
Telemedicine and COVID-19 with HIM
Task 1
A. velop an introduction for your capstone in which you do the following:
1. Describe your chosen topic within the field of HIM.
In view of the fact that COVID-19 was a new disease that was rapidly spreading,
the healthcare community was not only scrambling to minimize the spread of the disease,
but many facilities and physician offices were scrambling to meet the demands of
staffing, and struggling to maintain an adequate supply of PPE. An effective COVID-19
response pivots on the accuracy and completeness of the health information collected and
reported during the response. At the start of the pandemic, HIM professionals were not
functionally positioned to handle the information management constraints caused by
COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of the use of
Telemedicine by a number of physicians. The use of Telemedicine is needed to
effectively evaluate and care for patients without the risk of exposing the staff or other
patients to COVID-19. In response to the change in the way health care is delivered
during a pandemic, recent policy changes have reduced barriers to telehealth access,
however, the HIM staff is still responsible for maintaining the security and privacy of
, 2
patient information. The onset of the pandemic has also intensified documentation,
reporting, and coding requirements related to COVID-19 for the HIM staff. The
introduction of COVID-19 resulted in a world-wide pandemic requiring effective health
information management and accurate data reporting.
2. Explain why you chose the topic.
I chose this topic because I worked as a HIM\Credentialing Manager before and
during the COVID-19 pandemic. I assisted patients and family members with gaining
access to our facilities patient portal. I also participated with conducting virtual patient
, 2
visitation because all visitation was ceased at the onset of the pandemic. I personally
experienced the documentation, coding, ROI, and reporting challenges of COVID-19
before and after guidance was introduced. I will analyze the level of impact and change
COVID-19 has on the use of Telemedicine in regards to the roll of the HIM staff. I will
also point out some challenges the HIM staff experience when using Telemedicine.
HIM professionals experienced constraints such as navigating the complexities of the
health information collected, molding policies around using Telemedicine, and
obtaining continuous guidance regarding reporting, coding, and reimbursement of
COVID-19 and related illnesses.
3. Explain why you chose your research methodology (e.g., case study,
meta- analysis of data).
The research methodology I have chosen is meta-analysis. It is necessary for me
to review documentation completed by other facilities, organizations, professional
journals and articles that has recently experienced the use of Telemedicine during the
COVID-19 pandemic. I synthesized existing material about experiences and challenges
HIM professionals endured during the COVID-19 and the use of Telemedicine. It also
researched regulatory federal and state requirements created especially for the use of
Telemedicine during COVID-19. I researched literature that was intended for HIM
staff and COVID-19, HIM staff and Telemedicine and a combination of both.
4. Discuss why the topic is important to the field of HIM.
Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic is important to ensure the
continued care and management of patient health. HIM staff is responsible for making
