Shifting your medical coding staff to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teleworking or telecommuting is not new to medical coders but has increased dramatically in the past month due to COVID-19.

The main reason for teleworking is to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19, but there are many components to consider when implementing remote work in medical coding.

The information coders access when teleworking is very sensitive and private should be treated as such. There are steps any organization can take to meet the needs and challenges of teleworking:

• Have a policy in place which should denote requirements for eligible employees to work from home and have the employee and their supervisor/manager sign and date the agreement.
• Encourage coders to clearly define the room or space allowed to use as workspace.
• Make sure equipment requirements is defined to include but not limited to:
  • Computer
  • Printer
  • Paper shredder to maintain HIPAA compliance (if allowed)
  • Locking filing cabinet
• Indicate a work schedule to include days and times the employee can work remotely. This clarifies overtime, flex or split shift options, etc. 
• Malware and encryption software should be installed prior to installing or uploading to an EHR.
• Most organizations require their Information technology department to run full diagnostics on employee’s computer to see if it is HIPAA compliant.
• Identify ways communication will be conveyed from employee to leadership. such as email or virtual meetings.
• Review workflows with coders to ensure they are performing optimally with company’s expectations.
• Coders should have electronic applications that assist with coding, such as CCI edits, encoders, coding guidelines, etc.
• Make sure to touch base with staff to make certain work is complete, timelines met and maintain relationships with one another.

As a seasoned medical coder and auditor, I feel that it is important to establish parameters while working remotely. Have clear requirements and discuss to ensure staff understand them.

Additional resources

• MGMA COVID-19 Federal Assistance and Advocacy Center — Regulatory and legislative updates from MGMA Government Affairs
• MGMA COVID-19 Recovery Center — Operational resources and stories about the pandemic response