Course
Description
This Advanced Hospital Coding course prepares
students to take the American Health Information
Management Association's (AHIMA) official certification
exam to become a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS).
This program covers advanced ICD-9 coding procedures
and is designed to help students meet the challenge
of today's changing standards while learning and
improving their coding skills.
Facility coding (hospital coding) is one of the
best paying sectors of the coding profession. This
course is designed for the coder who wishes to
further develop their facility coding skills.
If you are already performing some aspect of facility
coding, this course will fill in the gaps so that
your skills are properly rounded. This "rounding" of
skills makes a more marketable employee and is
essential to successful completion of the American
Health Information Management Association's mastery
level credentialing exam, the Certified Coding
Specialist (CCS).
If you are currently working in a physician office
or billing service, this course will give you the
edge you need to advance in the workplace. Most
hospitals will only hire coders with previous exposure
to facility coding or are already certified. Training
on the job is a luxury most hospitals are unable
to offer. Coders of all levels must undergo continuing
education to stay current with the constantly changing
regulations.
This course will utilize your existing knowledge
of medical terminology and health care sciences.
Your coding skills will be heightened and focused
preparing you for employment testing, job performance,
and successful completion of the CCS exam.
Course
Objectives
- Understand how health information travels within
departments of a facility
- List the types of healthcare professionals,
both administrative and clerical
- Define the roles and responsibilities of a coder
in an in- and out-patient facility
- Understand the standards, ethics and legal
responsibilities of a coder
- Learn the opportunities available for coders,
and the importance of credentialing.
- Learn to interpret health record documentation
using knowledge of anatomy, physiology, clinical
disease processes and medical terminology
- Determine when additional clinical information
is needed
- Obtain further clinical information to assist
with code assignment
- Consult reference materials to facilitate code
assignment
- Identify patient encounter type(s) to assign
codes
- Identify etiology and manifestation(s) of clinical
conditions
- Learn the current coding and reporting requirements
for inpatient services
- Interpret conventions, formats, instructional
notations, tables and definitions of the classification
system to select diagnoses, conditions, problems,
or other reasons for encounter
- Sequence diagnoses and other encounter reasons
according to notations and conventions of the
classification system and standard data set definitions
(UHDDS - Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Sets)
- Determine if signs, symptoms or manifestations
require separate code assignments
- Recognize when classification system does not
provide a precise code for the condition documented
(residual categories or non-classified syndromes)
- Select principal diagnosis, principal procedure,
complications and comorbid conditions and other
significant procedures that require coding according
to UHDDS definitions and official coding guidelines
- Evaluate the effect of code selection on Diagnosis
Related Group (DRG_ assignment
- Verify DRG assignment based on Prospective
Payment System (PPS) definitions
- Apply guidelines for bundling and unbundling
of codes
- Determine proper use of Modifiers, CPT vs HCPCS
Level II codes and Medical Necessity (linking
diagnosis to procedure/service)
- Assess quality of coding
- Understand reimbursement methodologies and
documentation rules and regulations
- Analyze health record documentation for quality
and completeness of coding
- Evaluate health record documentation to substantiate
claims processing and appeals
- Understand the differences between the hospital
Inpatient and Outpatient Record, and identify
outpatient record components
- Determine proper use of Modifiers, CPT vs HCPCS
Level II codes and Medical Necessity (linking
diagnosis to procedure/service)
- Identify the Charge Master and its components
- Understand the CPT guidelines, with special
emphasis on Evaluation and Management (E&M)
and surgery coding.
- Identify coding considerations and guidelines
for Diagnostic tests
- Students begin when they wish
- Students are assigned an instructor for one-on-one
assistance
- Students move at their own pace
- The student work is evaluated; a 70% is required
for a certificate
- Students should complete the course within
90 days but may request an additional 90-day
extension
- Students will receive a certificate from the
school upon successful completion
The courses are self-paced. The instructors respond
to the student, not the other way around. Each
course has a set of lessons and exams.
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More information and a demo
of how the course operates can be obtained
at http://www.gatlineducation.com/advancedhospitalcoding.html. |
Tuition for this program is $1,795 per person.
NOTE: No refunds are available after you
are registered.
Loan information is available at http://www.collegeloanapplication.com
Registration is easy:
- Register online.
- Print out and complete the application in the brochure and submit it by mail or fax.
- Call our office at 1-877-450-1841 or (701)
777-4269.
- Apply in person at Gustafson Hall on the University
of North Dakota campus.
Note: Registration will not be
processed until payment is received unless prior
arrangements have been made with the Office of
Certificate Programs.
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