Auto-Finalization Eliminated in LMR and BICS
As of Jan. 5, all notes in the LMR and BICS must be actively signed as final. The “auto-finalization” function was disabled to comply with a new Partners-wide initiative. As a result, all clinic notes and dictated discharge summaries must be reviewed and signed by the clinician to become final. All unsigned notes will remain as preliminary in the user’s queue until they are signed.
“Last fall, the BWH Billing Compliance Department received strict clarifying instructions from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that clinicians must review medical record documentation in a timely manner for clarity and accuracy,” said John Avedian, MPH, RHIA, CHPS, associate director of Health Information Services. “They specifically stated that auto-authentication methods such as the one previously used at BWH do not comply with their requirements and may put reimbursement in jeopardy.”
In an effort to make the transition as smooth as possible for LMR and BICS users, Partners IS and Health Information Services conducted a four-month educational campaign to assist providers in completing and signing notes without reliance on the auto-finalization function.
“There has been a tremendous positive response to this initiative and now that Jan. 5 has passed, we will continue to work with users to educate, raise awareness and improve reporting methods,” said Avedian.