Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the articles: How to Choose the Right Coding Audit Method (Links to an external site.), and Auditing Across the Continuum: One Size Doesn’t Fit All (Links to an external site.). While not required, it is recommended that you review these resources again from previous weeks:

Attack of the Audits: Mounting Reviews Test HIM Policies and Patience (Links to an external site.)
A Successful CDI Monitoring Process Can Help Hospitals Avoid Audit Surprises (Links to an external site.)
AHIMA CDI and Coding Collaboration in Denials Toolkit (Links to an external site.).

You may need to log into the AHIMA Body of Knowledge (Links to an external site.) with your AHIMA membership (Links to an external site.) to access these journal articles.
Auditing is a common practice that is used by inpatient and outpatient healthcare organizations to ensure they are coding correctly. It promotes a high level of accuracy in coding and documentation, as well as improving compliance initiatives so that the organization follows the regulations set forth to report vital coding data correctly. In this written assignment that expands on previous discussions and VLab activities from this class, you will be focusing your attention on this essential process that is used throughout the industry.
For both an inpatient and outpatient facility,

Describe the purpose of a coding audits.
Discuss how often audits should be performed, and by whom.
Explain when educational and training programs for staff and physicians should be utilized.
Draft two written policies or procedures for effective auditing practices (one for inpatient and one for outpatient).
not specified