Sharp HealthCare, a not-for-profit integrated regional healthcare delivery system based in San Diego, Calif., has selected the 3M 360 Encompass System to integrate and automate medical records coding, clinical documentation improvement (CDI), and performance monitoring across all Sharp facilities, including four acute-care hospitals and affiliated medical groups. The advanced technology from 3M Health Information Systems will help Sharp HealthCare achieve greater coding productivity, complete documentation for better coded data, more accurate reimbursement, and actionable data to improve patient care processes.

Sharp will implement the 3M 360 Encompass System integrated with its Cerner electronic health medical record (EMR) to address the inefficiencies of multiple coding and documentation workflows and the added costs of unconnected systems. The 3M solution promotes complete capture of patient severity in physician documentation to improve case mix and significantly reduces the time and resources needed to prepare physicians for ICD-10, the new national healthcare coding standard.

“We did extensive research looking for an automated coding and documentation improvement solution that was big enough to meet the needs of a large organization like Sharp,” said Kari Cornicelli, Chief Financial Officer for Sharp Grossmont Hospital. “Accurate coding was a deciding factor in choosing 3M. We’ve been a 3M client for years and trust their coding software to keep us compliant and our reimbursement on target. 3M’s strong consulting program in clinical documentation improvement was the other factor in our decision.”

Sharp HealthCare has also contracted for the 3M DRG Assurance Program, 3M’s industry-leading clinical documentation improvement consulting program used by more than 1,500 U.S. hospitals to help physicians improve documentation specificity. The contract also includes the 3M Ambulatory Revenue Management System, which monitors data accuracy, validates medical necessity, and audits for compliance throughout the entire revenue cycle.

With the 3M Coding and Reimbursement System as its foundation, the 3M 360 Encompass System incorporates complete ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding content. The application natively codes in ICD-10 and enables coding in ICD-9 while viewing the ICD-10 equivalent. 3M is an international leader in coding and patient classification systems with more than 5,000 hospitals worldwide using 3M coding solutions to code and group patient data for decision support, quality measurement, and reimbursement.

More information about the 3M 360 Encompass System is available online or by calling 800-367-2447.

About 3M Health Information Systems
Best known for its market-leading coding system and ICD-10 expertise, 3M Health Information Systems delivers innovative software and consulting services designed to raise the bar for clinical documentation improvement, computer-assisted coding, performance monitoring, and quality outcomes reporting. 3M’s robust healthcare data dictionary and terminology services support data interoperability and the expansion and accuracy of the electronic health record. With nearly 30 years of healthcare industry experience and the know-how of more than 100 credentialed 3M coding experts, 3M is the go-to choice for more than 5,000 hospitals worldwide that want to improve quality and financial performance. www.3Mhis.com.

360 Encompass and 3M are registered trademarks of 3M Company.