Evaluation of a Child Abuse Screen Performed by Nurses Among Young Children with Fractures Seen in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Aims: To assess institutional compliance with, and test characteristics of, a child abuse screen performed by emergency department (ED) nurses for children <5 years old who were diagnosed with fractures.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a retrospective observational study of children 0-5 years old with fractures seen at a pediatric ED between January 2018 and April 2023 was performed. We analyzed demographics, ED visit data, and results of the nurse-completed abuse screen.

Leveraging Unlabeled Electroencephalographic Data to Predict Neurological Recovery for Comatose Patients Following Cardiac Arrest.

In response to the 2023 George B. Moody PhysioNet Challenge, we propose an automated, unsupervised pre-training approach to boost the performance of models that predict neurologic outcomes after cardiac arrest. Our team, (BrownBAI), developed a model architecture consisting of three parts: a pre-processor to convert raw electroencephalograms (EEGs) into two-dimensional spectrograms, a three-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) encoder for unsupervised pre-training, and a time series transformer (TST) model.

The Crossroads between Workforce and Education.

Concern is growing among industry leaders that students may not be obtaining the necessary skills for entry into the labor market. To gain an understanding of the perceived disconnect in the skill set of graduates entering the health information workforce, a survey was developed to examine the opinions of educators and employers related to graduate preparedness. The concern related to graduate preparedness is supported by findings in this research study, in which those working in industry and those in academia noted a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market.

Healthcare fraud and abuse.

In Texas, a supplier of durable medical equipment was found guilty of five counts of healthcare fraud due to submission of false claims to Medicare. The court sentenced the supplier to 120 months of incarceration and restitution of $1.6 million.

The expanding role of the HIM professional: where research and HIM roles intersect.

This article examines the evolving role of HIM professionals in research. In terms of both growth and credibility, it is important that HIM as a profession become more integrally involved in the research process. Specifically, this article examines the expanding role of the HIM professional in research-related activities and data management activities.

Improving patient safety through information technology.

Health information technology (HIT) is generally accepted as the solution for the nation's medical error crisis. Although limited studies suggest the importance of using HIT in the process of medication management, research has failed to adequately describe how HIT actually works in capturing medication error data and improving patient safety within a healthcare system.1-3 The aim of our study is to identify essential elements in the adoption of technology within the broader context of system change and workflow modification.

Identifying barriers to the adoption of new technology in rural hospitals: a case report.

The purpose of this study is to identify barriers to the adoption of new technology in rural settings. Specifically, this paper focuses on identifying and overcoming barriers to the adoption of a medication error reporting system in eight rural hospitals. Prior research has generally focused on barriers to the adoption of new technology in urban areas, medical centers, or large hospitals.

The pharmacist-physician relationship in the detection of ambulatory medication errors.

Background: Expenditures on outpatient prescription drugs have increased enormously in the last decade. Despite this growth in expenditures, prescription medication safety in the ambulatory setting is lacking. Prior research in outpatient care has centered around the physician-patient encounter.

Fixing broken bones and broken homes: domestic violence as a patient safety issue.

Background: Domestic violence (DV) is a significant problem in terms of both patient harm and cost. To better address this problem, the diagnosis and treatment of DV are considered within the emerging model of patient safety and medical error reduction. The case of a female patient who presents in the clinical setting following an incident of DV shows how medical errors can be analyzed as they are in medical cases not involving DV, such as when a person with abdominal pain is sent away from the emergency department with instructions to take an acid reducer and later suffers a burst appendix.

Use of statistical analysis in assessing appropriate documentation and coding.

This article examines how simple descriptive statistical and graphing techniques may be used in compliance efforts. Specifically, we propose the following three-step process: (1) Retrospective review of external data--Where do I stand? (2) Retrospective use of internal data--How can I improve? and (3) Prospective use of external and internal data--How can I avoid future problems? Findings suggest that when examining charges and length of stay (LOS) data, box plots are useful in retrospective analysis in identifying both over and under charges and LOS. Run charts are useful in prospective analysis of data in setting benchmark standards for evaluation.

Identifying domestic violence within inpatient hospital admissions using medical records.

This paper examines incidences of domestic violence among hospitalized patients identified as being victims of domestic violence. Specifically, we focus on defining the type and cost of domestic violence and identifying demographic characteristics of individuals at risk for domestic violence. Data for this paper were abstracted from the 1994 HCUP-3 data set.

ORYX: opportunity gained or lost?

For HIM practitioners willing to extend their knowledge and scope of responsibility, the Joint Commission's ORYX initiative will provide new and exciting opportunities. Your level of involvement will depend on your willingness to expand your knowledge base and accept a leadership role within your organization. For those willing to change the way they think about data analysis/outcomes, ORYX will provide some of the most important and unlimited career opportunities that will be, or have ever been, offered to HIM professionals.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997: bringing HIM and the rehabilitation therapies closer together.

This article examines the effect of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 on current treatment and reimbursement practices in rehabilitation services. Specifically, we focus on the integration of HIM and therapy skills and practices in providing quality patient care. In this article we present two models that represent possible scenarios defining the interaction between the HIM and rehabilitation professionals that could occur as a result of this legislation.