The carrot and the stick: how to make sure your documentation's correct.
With federal fraud investigators labeling discharge planning a risk area in their model compliance plans, case managers are finding themselves on the front lines of the corporate compliance wars. Experts warn that how well you document your work could affect your hospital's accreditation and ability to participate in Medicare. When poor documentation exists in the discharge planning process, it's probably because case managers didn't receive adequate training in discharge planning, experts say. Poor documentation also can result from lax oversight on the part of supervisors. To prevent documentation errors in discharge planning, case managers can become compliance officers for their departments. After all, experts say, compliance is just another form of quality improvement.
D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards*; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D005607:Fraud / Q000517:prevention & control; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D010934:Planning Techniques; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States