Coding and documentation are essential to meeting quality-based program criteria, as well as ensuring these behaviors are accurately captured by medical chart documentation. Improving coding and documentation is a top priority for VHAN practices—including Vanderbilt Medical Group (VMG). One of the ways VHAN can help is by sharing how Medical Risk Adjustment (MRA) plays a vital part in patient assessments and offering tools that align with members’ needs.
In August, VHAN implemented a new toolkit, Coding and Documentation Medical Risk Adjustment, that places a renewed focus on the vital role that proper coding and documentation can play in chronic disease management. Bolstered by leadership from Phillip Denny, Pam Bruce and Matthew Rosenberger and contributions from Kevin Schassler and Tyler Deresky, the toolkit offers:
- A clear description of the crucial role MRA plays in annual patient assessments
- An explanation of how different MRA models address different patient populations
- Guidance on capturing and properly documenting patient diagnoses, including for five chronic conditions that are often misdiagnosed
- A Quality Measures coding and documentation guide for Annual Wellness Visits, routine physical exams and office visits
To promote the toolkit, VHAN released a brand-new podcast dubbed miniVHAN with a coding series to help practices incorporate these guidelines into their daily workflow. The five-episode coding series features best practices from VHAN members, including NorthCrest and West Tennessee Health.
According to campaign data, the toolkit and podcast series both received a lot of attention and traction, including:
- 330 podcast downloads
- 10 completed practice sessions, and six adVHANtage Sessions
- 34 toolkit downloads
- 35 new VHAN Hub registrations, with 9 new VHAN Badge sign-ups
During the campaign, the VHAN Hub received an uptick in traffic, with 189 toolkit pageviews and 110 podcast pageviews.
To learn more about VHAN’s MRA strategy, view the MRA Toolkit and additional coding resources on the Hub. Listen to the miniVHAN podcast on the Hub, as well as Apple and Google podcast apps, Spotify, and Stitcher.
