Coding Professionals and
Ethical Standards
As a medical coder and auditor,
I believe that ethics is a very valuable principle to demonstrate. Coders are
trusted with so much private information that they must safeguard it. If you
are an AHIMA or AAPC coder, you have a Code of Ethics to follow. Not only are
we expected to follow the Code of Ethics, AHIMA & AAPC can enforce their
Code of Ethics.
What is ethics?
Business Dictionary describes ethics as "the basic concepts
and fundamental principles of decent human conduct." In other words,
act professionally and respectably.
Not only do we need to
protect the patient demographics such as social security numbers when we are
reviewing the medical record, we must hold in confidence sensitive information
such as drug and alcohol usage.
The seven purposes
that the AHIMA Code of Ethics serves:
- Promotes high standards of HIM practice.
- Identifies core values on which the HIM mission is
based.
- Summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the
profession's core values.
- Establishes a set of ethical principles to be used to
guide decision-making and actions.
- Establishes a framework for professional behavior and
responsibilities when professional obligations conflict or ethical
uncertainties arise.
- Provides ethical principles by which the general public
can hold the HIM professional accountable.
- Mentors practitioners new to the field to HIM's
mission, values, and ethical principles
AAPC Code of Ethics
“It shall be the
responsibility of every AAPC member, as a condition of continued membership, to
conduct themselves in all professional activities in a manner consistent with
ALL of the following ethical principles of professional conduct:
- Integrity
- Respect
- Commitment
- Competence
- Fairness
- Responsibility
Adherence to these
ethical standards assists in assuring public confidence in the integrity and
professionalism of AAPC members. Failure to conform professional conduct to
these ethical standards, as determined by AAPC’s Ethics Committee, may result
in the loss of membership with AAPC.”
As relating to coding,
AAPC describes the principle of competence in part as
“Developing and achieving a skill set that fosters high quality, effective work
product, and work process, maintaining credentials and coding expertise
through ongoing continuing education, networking, and professional
development; and maintaining a strong knowledge base of key principles,
including an awareness and understanding of applicable laws and regulations
surrounding ethical and competent, professional coding.”
Medical coding does require us to have integrity, to be committed, responsible, fair, competent, and respectful.
In just about every area of society, there is nothing more important than ethics.
Henry Paulson
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