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As the coding manager, you have just conducted a productivity and accuracy audit

ID: 460893 • Letter: A

Question

As the coding manager, you have just conducted a productivity and accuracy audit of the five coders that report to you.  Below are the results of the study

Productivity

Accuracy Rate

Coder One

45 charts in 8 hours

75%

Coder Two

24 charts in 8 hours

98%

Coder Three

30 charts in 8 hours

98%

Coder Four

50 charts in 8 hours

60 %

Coder Five

10 charts in 8 hours

97%

Your department currently receives on the average 300 charts per day.

Research and locate AHIMA’s productivity benchmarking standards.

Your facility compliance guidelines state that coders should maintain at least a 95% accuracy rate. Using the audit results, AHIMA’s benchmarking standard, and compliance guidelines, develop feedback for each of the coders. Your feedback to each coder should be positive and comprehensive. Feedback must address at least productivity, accuracy, and suggestions for improvement.

During this process, the department director has asked you to evaluate if you have enough staff to maintain the workload and to make recommendations for a change in staffing if necessary. Develop a proposal for staffing change if necessary

Productivity

Accuracy Rate

Coder One

45 charts in 8 hours

75%

Coder Two

24 charts in 8 hours

98%

Coder Three

30 charts in 8 hours

98%

Coder Four

50 charts in 8 hours

60 %

Coder Five

10 charts in 8 hours

97%

Explanation / Answer

Benchmark

Daily Coder Productivity Expectations

After checking AHIMA and AAPC sources. Below is the list of information that I have gathered in regards to Coder productivity.

Source:

Type of Charts

Per Day

Per Hour

Time per Record

AHIMA Source

Inpatient Coding

24

3

20

AHIMA Source

Ambulatory, Outpatient and Interventional Surgery & Procedure Coding

40

5

12

AHIMA Source

Emergency Department Coding

120

15

4

AHIMA Source

Ancillary Testing Coding

240

30

2

AAPC Source

Inpatient/Observation

24

3

20

AAPC Source

Same Day Surgery

48

6

10

AAPC Source

Emergency Room

96

12

5

AAPC Source

Outpatients

240

30

2

Field Response

Radiology - no other duties

400

50

1

Field Response

Radiology - other duties

240

30

2

Field Response

Urology

144

18

3.3

Field Response

Ambulatory Multi-Specialty Clinic (125 providers 7 FTEs)

136

17

3.5

Field Response

E&M

160

20

3

Field Response

Orthopedic Surgeries

60

7.5

8

Coder one - Good productivity but needs to improve on accuracy as the current accuracy does not meet the guidelines.

Code Two - Performing very well

Coder Three - Performing Very well.

Coder 4 - Need to improve accuracy as it is much below the accepted standard.

Coder 5 - Increase productivity however the accuracy is really good.