1. ©2016 Professional Ethics Content Provided by the CSA Excellence Presentation Series

2. ©2016 Agenda Overview of the Code of Ethics Review of Principles and Guidelines Relation to HIM Practice and How to Use Discussion of Ethics Tools Case Studies

3. ©2016 Code of Ethics Defined “Adopted by a profession or an organization to regulate that profession….will discuss difficult issues, difficult decisions that will often need to be made, and provide a clear account of what behavior is considered "ethical" or "correct" in the circumstances… failure to comply can result in expulsion from the professional organization.” Wikipedia “Outlines the mission and values of the business or organization, how professionals are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization's core values and the standards to which the professional will be held.” Investopedia “Standard of morals by which a group makes decisions about what is right or wrong.” Your Dictionary

4. ©2016 Purpose The AHIMA Code of Ethics serves seven purposes: 1.Promotes high standards of HIM practice 2.Identifies core values 3.Summarizes broad ethical principles reflecting core values 4.Establishes set of ethical principles 5.Establishes a framework for behavior and responsibilities 6.Provides ethical principles for general public to hold the HIM professionals accountable 7.Mentors new practitioners

5. ©2016 Code of Ethics http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=105098#.Vt9quk3fPxY

6. ©2016 Sections of Code of Ethics Preamble Purpose Principles Guidelines

7. ©2016 Preamble Why have a Code Core health information issues: –What information to be collected –How information handled –Who should have access –Under what conditions disclosed –Retention of Information

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9. Principles & Guidelines The code includes principles and guidelines that are both enforceable and aspirational.

10. ©2016 Principle I Advocate, uphold, and defend the individual's right to privacy and the doctrine of confidentiality in the use and disclosure of information.

11. ©2016 Principle II Put service and the health and welfare of persons before self-interest and conduct oneself in the practice of the profession so as to bring honor to oneself, peers, and to the HIM profession.

12. ©2016 Which item below might be a violation of Principle II? 1.Including a paragraph from an HIM textbook in your article without referencing the source. 2.Reviewing your colleague’s health record to see why she is hospitalized. 3.Telling a subordinate to change the chart log to inflate the number completed. 4.All of the above

13. ©2016 Principle III Preserve, protect, and secure personal health information in any form or medium and hold in the highest regards health information and other information of a confidential nature obtained in an official capacity, taking into account the applicable statutes and regulations.

14. ©2016 Principle IV Refuse to participate in or conceal unethical practices or procedures and report such practices.

15. ©2016 Guidelines - HIM professionals shall not: Participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud and abuse, or deception. A noninclusive list of examples includes: Coding to impact payment or an inappropriate level of service Miscoding to avoid conflict with others Hiding or ignoring review outcomes, such as performance data Failing to report licensure status for a physician Recording inaccurate data for accreditation purposes Allowing inappropriate access to genetic, adoption, health, or behavioral health information

16. ©2016 Which item below might be a violation of Principle IV? 1. Knowing the policies and procedures for handling concerns about unethical behavior. 2. Recording inaccurate data for accreditation purposes. 3. Cooperating with law enforcement as appropriate. 4. All of the above

17. ©2016 Principle V Advance health information management knowledge and practice through continuing education, research, publications, and presentations.

18. ©2016 Principle VI Recruit and mentor students, staff, peers, and colleagues to develop and strengthen professional workforce.

19. ©2016 Principle VII Represent the profession to the public in a positive manner.

20. ©2016 Principle VIII Perform honorably health information management association responsibilities, either appointed or elected, and preserve the confidentiality of any privileged information made known in any official capacity.

21. ©2016 Principle IX State truthfully and accurately one’s credentials, professional education, and experiences.

22. ©2016 Which item(s) below might be a violation of Principle IX? 1.RHIA credential revoked based on failure to complete recertification requirements, yet continues to use. 2.Submitting a colleague’s certification certificate with your name to new employer. 3.Declaring CEUs for a CSA annual meeting, yet did not attend. 4.All of the above.

23. ©2016 Principle X Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in situations supporting health information practice.

24. ©2016 Principle XI Respect the inherent dignity and worth of every person.

25. ©2016 Ethics Tools Code of Ethics site Standards for Ethical Coding Standards for CDIP Self-Assessment Case Studies Violations Ethics Resources: http://www.ahima.org/about/ethicsresources.aspx

26. ©2016 AHIMA Standards of Ethical Coding Last Approved 2008 by House of Delegates Under revision currently Based on AHIMA's Code of Ethics Principles reflect expectations of professional conduct for coding professionals http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=106344#.VuAo EE3fPxY

27. ©2016 Ethical Standards for Clinical Documentation Improvement Professionals (CDIP) Updated October 2015 Based on AHIMA's Code of Ethics and AHIMA’s Standards for Ethical Coding These standards reflect expectations of professional conduct for coding professionals involved in clinical documentation improvement http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=101609#.VqjMt03fP4g

28. ©2016 Ethics Self Assessment Developed to help AHIMA members and certificants identify strengths as well as areas needing strengthening Intended for personal use only AHIMA Ethics Self Assessment

29. ©2016 Self Assessment Case Studies Ten case studies developed to complement the assessment Both resources will be useful and inspiring in your professional development

30. ©2016 Code of Ethics Violations http://www.ahima.org/about/aboutahima?tabid=ethics

31. ©2016 Case Study A new HIM director recently relocated from another state. Immediately upon her employment, her staff begins to note irregular behavior. It seems that the new director is carrying out activities that are not consistent with the organization’s culture and the AHIMA Code of Ethics, and which possibly may be illegal. The activities include reimbursing herself out of petty cash for questionable expenditures, hiring individuals who are friends or relatives, submitting expense vouchers for attendance at meetings where no one recalls her in attendance, and optimizing codes for improved reimbursement. Is there an ethical violation, dilemma, or concern?

32. ©2016 Core Ethical Questions What was the intent of the AHIMA member’s actions that resulted in an ethics violation being brought forward? What is the potential harm to the organization or AHIMA as a result of the act? What is the status of the AHIMA member’s training, education, and awareness of the AHIMA Code of Ethics? Which AHIMA Ethical Principle(s) has been violated?

33. ©2016 Case Study A treasurer for a Component State Association (CSA) obtained a debit card on behalf of the CSA. The reason was to allow the CSA to have petty cash and cover costs associated with the CSA’s annual meeting. This person began using the debit card to pay for personal items such as parking, lunch, and groceries. The president noticed these charges and asked the treasurer about them. Is there an ethical violation, dilemma, or concern?

34. ©2016 Core Ethical Questions What was the intent of the AHIMA member’s actions that resulted in an ethics violation being brought forward? What is the potential harm to the organization or AHIMA as a result of the act? What is the status of the AHIMA member’s training, education, and awareness of the AHIMA Code of Ethics? Which AHIMA Ethical Principle(s) has been violated?

35. ©2016 Questions