Mentorship Program for Medical Coders: Why You Need It To Develop Your Coding Team

Mentorship Program for Medical Coders: Why You Need It To Develop Your Coding Team

What Is Coder Mentoring?

A mentorship program for medical coders is a quality improvement process where an experienced medical auditor reviews a new HIM professional’s work and guides them through the process. The mentor helps the learner understand the selection process based on the provided documentation. The learner receives real-time feedback on their charts, allowing them to gain confidence in their technique. Coding mentors set up developing professionals for success in their field as they gain more experience and coding accuracy.

Not every medical coding firm or hospital offers this benefit to their coders. This service is a cornerstone of YES HIM Consulting’s coding improvement plan, in that our coding professionals continuously strengthen their skills and develop their knowledge through collaboration.

Is Coder Mentoring for New Hires or for Established Coders?

Coder mentoring is a beneficial process for both new hires and established coders. The process allows for new hires to become more acquainted with the current guidelines and the organization’s coding practices. Additionally, established coders can finetune their coding skills and enhance their knowledge with the objective of maintaining (or getting back to) industry standard coding accuracy.

Mentoring helps hone those skills that coders can’t necessarily learn through certification, such as critical thinking and decision-making. And, mentors show developing professionals how the coding process works and when to ask questions.

“Learning how to construct compliant provider queries is another opportunity for the mentor and coding professional to work together,” Jennifer Ritter writes for the Journal of AHIMA. “This relationship will provide the coding professional with the foundation they need to continue their growth in the HIM profession.”

However, in-house coding teams that may already be stretched too thin will find it difficult to add mentoring to their workload. That’s where a qualified medical coding, auditing, and education partner enters the arena. An external partner has the staff and knowledge to support the in-house coding team, taking the strain off their staff while maintaining the organization’s coding quality standards.

Types of Coder Mentoring

YES offers several types of coder mentoring services:

• Secondary Reviews
• New-hire mentoring to achieve the client’s standard coding accuracy rate
• Continuing education tailored to specific needs
• Dedicated question queue
• Weekly coaching sessions

Coder mentoring is a customizable service, based on the needs of the coding team and organization. Reach out to YES HIM Consulting’s subject matter experts to discuss your needs and brainstorm actionable strategies.