Is your HIM department ready for the next technology?
Use it before you adopt AI coding, CDI tools, release-of-information automation, patient-access apps or device-data integrations. About 15 minutes, best done with HIM, IT, compliance and revenue cycle leads in the room.
Fix first: Governance scored 1. Any domain scored 1 must be fixed before go-live, whatever the total.
0 of 5 domains scored
Total so far: 0 / 15
Score one technology at a time. Nothing you enter leaves this page — it is not sent or stored.
People
Do we have the right people, with the time and skills, to run and check this tool?
Technology does not run itself. Someone must own it, someone must cover when they are away, and the people who use it must trust and understand it.
Check each statement (0 of 5 marked Yes)
- 1.A named owner is responsible for the tool day to day
- 2.At least one trained backup can cover for the owner
- 3.Staff workload leaves real time for training and adoption
- 4.The people who will use the tool were consulted before selection
- 5.Staff have the skills to check the tool’s output (sampling, auditing)
Evidence to look for: Training records, the owner named in a job description, a coverage schedule
Process
Is the work this tool touches written down, owned and measured today?
Automating an unclear process makes the confusion faster. Before any tool goes live, the current workflow should be documented and measured.
Check each statement (0 of 5 marked Yes)
- 1.The workflow is documented from start to finish
- 2.Hand-offs and ownership are clear at every step
- 3.Current performance is measured (turnaround, accuracy, denials)
- 4.There is a defined path for exceptions and escalations
- 5.A downtime procedure exists if the tool is unavailable
Evidence to look for: Policies and procedures, workflow maps, monthly productivity and quality reports
Data
Is our data good enough for this tool to read, use and share?
Every tool is only as good as the data it receives. Coded data now travels to payers, patients, analytics and AI, so its quality decides the result.
Check each statement (0 of 5 marked Yes)
- 1.Data quality is known and measured, not assumed
- 2.Local codes are mapped to standard terminologies (LOINC, SNOMED CT, RxNorm)
- 3.The duplicate patient record rate is known and managed
- 4.Documentation templates are structured where the tool depends on them
- 5.We know exactly what data the tool needs, receives and sends
Evidence to look for: Data quality reports, terminology mapping tables, duplicate record reports, data flow diagrams
Technology
Will the tool work in our environment, securely, and stay current?
A good demonstration is not proof. The tool must connect to your systems, work on your records and keep up with code set and rule changes.
Check each statement (0 of 5 marked Yes)
- 1.Integration with the EHR and other systems is designed and tested
- 2.The tool has been tested on our own records, not only the vendor’s demo data
- 3.A security and privacy review is complete, with a business associate agreement where needed
- 4.The support model and service levels are defined in writing
- 5.Code set and guideline updates (October 1, January 1) are loaded on time
Evidence to look for: Test results on your records, security review sign-off, contract and service-level terms
Governance
Who checks the tool, how often, and who is accountable when it is wrong?
Governance is the domain most often skipped. Without it, errors are found by auditors and payers instead of by you.
Check each statement (0 of 5 marked Yes)
- 1.A written policy covers how the tool is used and overridden
- 2.A fixed audit sample and frequency are defined
- 3.An audit trail shows who or what made each coding or release decision
- 4.Accountability for errors is clear, internally and in the contract
- 5.Results are reviewed with compliance on a regular schedule
Evidence to look for: Approved policy, audit schedule and results, contract liability terms, committee minutes
Red flags: stop and fix first
If any of these are true, pause — whatever your total score. Tick any that apply.
Your result
Score all five domains to see your result. 5 to go.
This is a self-assessment based on the During Health workbook, not an audit, certification or guarantee of any outcome. See our terms and privacy policy.
Six questions to ask any technology vendor
Use these during demonstrations and contracting. Vague answers are a finding in themselves.
- Accuracy
- How was accuracy measured, on whose data, and by whom?
- Explainability
- Can we see why each code, flag or decision was produced?
- Data use
- Is our data used to train your model? Where is it stored, and for how long?
- Updates
- How and when are code set and guideline changes loaded?
- Control
- Can we set our own confidence thresholds, audit rules and overrides?
- Accountability
- What happens contractually if your errors cause overpayments or a breach?
Bring compliance and IT security to the demo, not just to the contract signing.