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Health information management (HIM) professionals play vital roles when hospitals close because of their unique knowledge of revenue-cycle management, treatment processes and the secure transfer of patient information.
Small rural hospitals, in particular, are struggling in the new payment environment, and HIM pros likely will be asked to be part of closure efforts, according to an article in Perspectives in Health Information Management, published by the American Health Information Management Association.
Before a facility closes, it must ensure that patient health information is secure and that revenue cycle operations can close properly. That includes helping community members find new providers, pay outstanding bills and obtain copies of their medical records.
To that end, say the authors, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Novant Health, it’s vital to work with the IT department to identify all systems that contain protected health information (PHI) and all the sites in which PHI is stored, either electronically or on paper. It’s also important to think through how to retain reporting information that might be needed in the future from systems that are shut down and archived.
All department heads must be involved in a walk-through of a facility pre-closure to inventory equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals that should be locked up or discarded, they say. Additionally, plans must be made to ensure all patient records are routed appropriately.
Transparent communications and job assistance services also are essential for employees being displaced, according to the authors, since there’s no guarantee they will continue to show up and do their best work after the closure announcement.
Research published in Health Affairs last year noted that although hospital closures remain a major concern within the healthcare industry, they have not significantly affected hospitalizations or mortality rates in recent years.