What is an appropriate activity for ensuring coding compliance?

Developing procedures for identifying coding errors is an essential activity for ensuring coding compliance because it establishes a systematic approach for monitoring and correcting coding practices. This process fosters accuracy in documentation and coding, which is critical for maintaining compliance with regulatory guidelines and standards set forth by organizations such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

By identifying coding errors, healthcare organizations can implement corrective actions that reduce the risk of audits, potential fines, and penalties. Furthermore, this proactive approach supports continuous quality improvement within the coding process and upholds the integrity of patient information. Having robust procedures in place helps coders understand and adhere to the standards and regulations, which ultimately leads to improved data quality and financial performance for the healthcare facility.