Coding Roundtables in Texas

In an effort to support the TxHIMA membership with on-going coding education, the TxHIMA Board of Directors has been laying the foundation to set up Coding Roundtables in Texas. This program will not only provide additional tools and resources for coders in Texas, but will also coincide with the AHIMA Coding Roundtables mission. The goals of Coding Roundtables are to:

• Improve coding skills through education;

• Provide local networking opportunities for coders;

• Attract new members to the coding and HIM profession;

• Create an environment that facilitates mentoring; and

• Share coding practices, challenges, and requirements to affect policy in the industry.

What Are Coding Roundtables?

While Coding Roundtables can take on several formats, they generally have a predetermined discussion topic with suggested discussion points and questions. The topic can vary, some examples include the physician query process, documentation improvement, outpatient coding, APCs, or a specific clinical topic (such as heart failure, obstetrical coding, etc.). There is generally a short presentation on the topic, which can be given by the facilitator, a coding expert, a physician/physician's assistant, etc. and then the facilitator helps moderate the discussion, drawing out comments and questions, taking notes, and encouraging participation from participants. Most roundtables last two hours and provide two hours of continuing education; however, the length can vary. The facilitator concludes the roundtable by soliciting feedback from the participants as to whether the session was useful, how it could be improved, and obtains suggestions for future discussion topics. While most roundtable meetings occur in person, they can also be conducted via conference call.

There is generally a small fee charged to attend a Coding Roundtable. These funds support the regional meetings by covering costs for handouts, refreshments, speaker fees, or other costs associated with the roundtable meeting.

How is TxHIMA Developing Coding Roundtables in Texas?

Because Texas is such a large state, TxHIMA has chosen to appoint a Statewide Roundtable Coordinator who is responsible for working with and supporting Regional Roundtable Coordinators, and for reporting Coding Roundtable activities to TxHIMA and to AHIMA.

Opportunities

Are you interested in participating in Coding Roundtables? You can take action by letting the regional coordinator in your area know that you are interested, and how you can help. If there is not a regional coordinator in your area, you may contact TxHIMA (txhima@txhima.org, or 512-392-4716
) if you are interested in supporting regional roundtables in your area.