The recent hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment has garnered significant attention in the media lately, and for good reason. A large corporation with significant technological and financial resources should be, in the eyes of the public, fairly well defended against cyber-attacks. While 2014 has had numerous high-profile attacks on many retailers, the Sony hack shows the public just how pervasive electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) is…
What are the common Commission on Cancer deficiencies?
Dr. Takanishi Program Review Subcommittee Vice-Chair reported at the November 2014 Annual Surveyors and Consultants training the most common deficiencies in 2013 were related to NCDB submission and quality, abstracting timeliness, cancer liaison physician responsibilities, quality studies, and quality improvements. Keep in mind, the standards have been revised and abstracting timeliness is no longer included in the review. The Commission on Cancer released two communication this…
Q&A: Lymphoma Coding
Q: A CT and PET scan performed in August of 2014 are positive for anterior mediastinal and lower paratracheal lymphadenopathy suspicious for lymphoma. A biopsy supports the lymphoma diagnosis. All other workup is negative. What is the primary site? A: Refer to Module 7, PH Rule 20 of the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Coding Manual – Code the primary site to the specific lymph node region when…
Consultant Spotlight: Susanna Mitchell, CTR
Susanna L. Mitchell, CTR, serves as the Quality Control & Mentoring Director for the Oncology Services Division of Registry Partners Incorporated. Susanna oversees and directs the quality control & mentoring operations for all cancer registry projects, including Commission on Cancer accredited cancer programs as well as state incidence reporting and state central registry based projects. She serves as a mentor and resource for quality control managers…