HealthEast Care System Implements Ingenix Solutions to Help Increase Coding Accuracy, Productivity

Advanced encoding system to help reduce administrative costs across 20 HealthEast facilities

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (September 27, 2010) –

HealthEast Care System, one of the largest health systems serving Minneapolis and Saint Paul, has implemented Ingenix Web.Strat(TM), an advanced medical encoding system from Ingenix.

Medical coding is the process of documenting clinical diagnoses and procedures by assigning numerical codes that can be used for billing and health care provider performance measurement programs. HealthEast implemented Ingenix Web.Strat as part of a long-term strategy to increase the efficiency and accuracy of its medical coding operations and to reduce administrative costs across all 20 of its hospitals, clinics and outpatient centers.

“HealthEast selected Ingenix Web.Strat because the product delivers comprehensive coding functionality, is easy to use and integrates with our billing system, McKesson HealthQuest,” said Rennae Glidden, director of HIS Data Services at HealthEast. “Our transition to Web.Strat was fast and easy. Ingenix’s advanced coding solutions enable our HIM coding staff to process clinical documentation more efficiently and with greater accuracy. Further, Web.Strat’s reporting tools provide insight to our organization’s coding performance so that we can continue to improve processes to submit more accurate claims and ultimately ensure prompt payment for patient care.”

How it works
Web.Strat provides reference, encoding and reimbursement tools in a single, web-based interface. As medical coders identify diagnoses or procedures, they use Web.Strat to assign the appropriate code from coding indexes such as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th Revision (ICD-9) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT).

Web.Strat features help coders save time and ensure more complete, accurate coding of clinical documentation. For example, Web.Strat gives coders the flexibility to use either a book-based encoding tool to find medical codes, or a phrase-based-logic tool that guides them to potential matches as they enter descriptions into a search field. In addition, after a diagnosis code is assigned, Web.Strat, in many instances, will provide a list of commonly related procedures. Coders can verify whether those procedures were performed, and if so, assign the appropriate procedure code.

For hospital managers, the system also provides comprehensive reporting tools that gauge individual coder productivity, assess Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) frequency and determine the hospital’s case-mix index. These are critical measurements for ensuring accurate Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and continuously improving medical coding performance.

For more information about Web.Strat, visit www.ingenix.com.

About HealthEast Care System
HealthEast is a community-focused health care system that provides innovative technology, compassionate care and a full spectrum of family health services. HealthEast includes Bethesda, St. John’s and St. Joseph’s Hospitals, Woodwinds Health Campus, outpatient services, home care, clinics, pharmacies, and medical transportation services. HealthEast is the largest, locally-owned health care provider in the Twin Cities’ East Metro, with 7,000 employees and more than 1,400 physicians on staff.

Source: Ingenix