Healthcare Data Analysis and Functions

Several decades ago, medical coding was an integral part of the healthcare system as it was utilized in the manual transcribing of every piece of information that is related to a patient’s visit into an electronic code that can then be stored in the hospital’s or health organization’s database. However, the process was prone to medical errors as coding involved considerable amounts of paperwork. However, the continued growth in healthcare technologies has completely reshaped the coding process and opened up many new and exciting opportunities in medical billing and coding. Modern technologies that are utilized within the healthcare environment have been streamlined to improve the accuracy of the coding process and thus reduce documentation errors which significantly contribute to medical errors.

There are a variety of new technologies that can be utilized to reduce errors in medical coding. Research has shown that medical bar-coding has the potential to reduce medication errors in hospital settings (Hutton, Ding, & Wellman, 2017). The utilization of technologies enhances patient safety by preventing medical errors, assessment errors, and surveillance systems such as rapid responses (Ehteshami, Rezaei, Tavakoli, & Kasaei, 2013). Technology has helped make the job of coding easier and improved the accuracy of the coding process by reducing human error while diligent medical coding ensures that all medical transactions are accurately reported. Therefore, technological improvements within the healthcare environment also reduces errors in medical billing and so facilitates adequate reimbursements for the hospital.

References

Ehteshami, A., Rezaie, P., Tavakoli, N., Kasaei, M. (2013). The role of health information technology in reducing preventable medical errors and improving patient safety. International Journal of Health Systems and Disaster Management, 1(4). 195-199.

Hutton, K., Ding, Q., & Wellman, G. (2017). The Effects of Bar-coding Technology on Medication Errors: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Patient Safety, 4(5). 15-27. Doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000366