Ambulatory Coding Syllabus for 2014-2015
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

HITT-1342-001 Ambulatory Coding

Prerequisites

Course Description

Fundamentals of ambulatory coding rules, conventions and guidelines.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

CPT Coding Manual, American Medical Association, 2015

CP "Teach" Expert Coding made Easy Textbook, 25th Edition,  Patrice Morin-Spatz, 2014, Mulligan Press

CP "Teach" Expert Coding made Easy Student Workbook, 25th Edition,  Patrice Morin-Spatz, 2014, Mulligan Press

 

Supplies

\ Textbooks, Current Coding Manual, Paper, Pencils, Scantrons, and Computer for Online quizzes and exams.

Student Performance

\ End-of-Course Outcomes:  Apply nomenclatures and classification systems and assign codes.

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\ COURSE OBJECTIVE:

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\ This course is designed to provide the student with a uniform language that accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services which will serve an effective means for reliable nationwide communication among physicians, patients, and third party payors. 

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\ COURSE GOALS:                                

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\ Given the course textbooks, workbooks, personal notes, and handouts, the student should have a comprehensive grasp of CPT coding techniques.  Beginning with a very basic overview, history of the coding system, and covering the AMA's CPT manual from beginning to end to provide optimal insurance reimbursement for the physician and patient.  The student will also be able to communicate more effectively with health care providers and third party payors.

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\ COURSE COMPETENCIES:                 

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\ Upon completion of the following chapters, the student will be able to do the folliwing with at least 70% accuracy as evaluated by the faculty in the program:

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\ •           Develop an understanding of the reasons for coding for prospective payment.  This is the form of reimbursement by Medicare & Medicaid for physician's office.
\ •           Recognize the importance of the medical record & the physician's documentation for coding purposes.
\ •           Cite the importance of modifiers with CPT coding.
\ •           CPT code by individual physician specialities - look at each section for specific problems.
\ •           Discuss coding for prospective payment - the advantages & the disadvantages.
\ •           Caution coders to the specific areas that may surface on DRG (Diagnosis Related Groupings) validation review.
\ •           Look at the functions of Quality Assurance & Utilization Review within a hospital/clinical setting.
\ •           Offer worksheets for guided practice in sequencing & coding discharge summary information.
\ •           Develop a further understanding of diagnosis related groups by coding the examples listed in this test & achieving a 95% accuracy upon coding completion.
\ •           The knowledge gained from coding for prospective payment can be applied to any reimbursement setting.  The student upon completion of this course should have a thorough knowledge of the basics of coding, sequencing & of working with DRG's.
\ •           Discuss HCPCS coding system & how it influences reimbursement.
\ •           RBRVS & other physician reimbursement reforms.  Current Federal Register.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

\ POLICY FOR STUDENTS REQUIRING THEA REMEDIATION:

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\ Students that have been identified for THEA-required remediation must, according to Texas State Law, participate
\ continuously in their THEA-remediation courses or they will be withdrawn for ALL course work, including the AH courses, through anadministrative withdrawal for THEA non-compliance.  If you have any questions about THEA-remediation, please call the Advising and Counseling Center at 371-5440.

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\ WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE:
\ It is the responsibility of the student to officially drop or withdraw from a course.  Failure to officially withdraw may result in the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course.  The student may obtain a withdrawal form from his academic advisor, the counseling center or from the registrar’s office.  It is also the responsibility of the student to take the drop slip to the registrar’s office in order for the student to be officially dropped from a course.  Students are not automatically dropped from their class roles as a result on non-attendance.

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\ STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE:
\ A student who has a problem with the course or the course instructor should make every attempt to resolve the problem with the course instructor.  If that is not successful, the student may appeal the decision of the instructor to the Program Director, the Dean of the Health Sciences Division, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President -- IN THAT ORDER.   Please refer to the current Amarillo College catalog for complete explanation of the grievance procedures.

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\ CELLULAR TELEPHONES AND PAGERS:
\ Pagers and telephones are disruptive during class time.  Telephones must be turned off during class time with the exception of emergency personnel, pagers must either be turned off or set on vibrate during class time.   Please notify me in writing if you fall in this category, otherwise failure to comply will result in you being asked to leave class for that day.  You will still be responsible for the material covered in class.  If you feel that you will have an emergency during class time, leave the number of the student services office and they will contact you immediately.  The number is 371-5300. 
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\ ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
\ Academic dishonesty shall constitute a violation of the college rules & regulations & is punishable as prescribed by Amarillo College Board policies.  Academic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.  “Cheating on a test” shall include:

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• \ Copying from another student’s test paper.
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• \ Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test.
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• \ Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator/instructor.
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• \ Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an administered/unadministered test.
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• \ Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.
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• \ Bribing another person to obtain an administered/unadministered test or information about an administered/unadministered test.
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\ “Plagiarism”shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work. 

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\ “Collusion” shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.

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Grading Criteria

QUIZZES:
\ Quizzes will be given at the discretion of the instructor.  Quizzes may or may not be announced by the instructor. 
\ Material covered by these quizzes will consist of review material or new material assigned in class. 
\ Quizzes may be given orally, fill in the blank, matching, crossword puzzles, take-home or in a group. 

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There will be a minimum of 5 - 10 quizzes. 
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\      •     Some quizzes will be administered as take-home.  You must be in class to receive the quiz & you must be in class to grade the quiz in order for the grade to count. The student must attend the entire class in order to have the quiz grade count.  In other words the student can not drop by class, pick up the quiz and leave.  If you are not in class to grade your quiz, you will receive a grade of zero (0).  You may not turn  take-home quizzes in early or late.         

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IF A QUIZ IS  MISSED, THERE WILL BE NO MAKEUP QUIZZES.  If a student arrives late to class, while a quiz is in progress, she/he will NOT be given extra time to complete the quiz.  If a student arrives late to class after a quiz has been given, he/she will not be allowed to take the quiz. 

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Quizzes will be worth 10% of your FINAL GRADE.  

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No quiz grades will be dropped.

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MAJOR EXAMS:
\ Exams will be announced during class at least a week in advance of the exam date.  Major exams will be given in four (4) types of format.  Scan-tron, fill-in-the-blank, and/or take-home exams or online.  

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Major Exams that are considered take-home exams will be treated as the other major exams that are given during class time. 
\ Take-home exams are due at the beginning of class.  If you are not in class on the day a take-home exam is handed out, you will be able to makeup this exam, however, the exam will be considered LATE. 

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There will be a 20% deduction from the exam grade, regardless of the reason for missing class that day. 
\ If a take-home exam is due and you are unable to attend class, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make arrangements for the exam to be delivered to me no later than 5:00 pm on the date due.
\ No take-home exams will be accepted after the due date.  The take-home exam will still be considered LATE therefore, the 20% deduction will be enforced.

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Online Exams will be OPEN @ 6:00pm and will CLOSE @ 11:59pm on the assigned dates. 
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\ Exams dates will be posted to the Announcement Page, email and AC Online calendar of this course. 

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Students with questions regarding examination results may review examinations, under the supervision of the MDS faculty, by appointment only. 
\ Students who feel that a question was scored improperly must submit the following to the appropriate instructor, in writing. 

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  •     The exam question and the reason for requesting an instructor review of the score.

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  •     The page and paragraph number, in the student's textbook or lecture notes, that verifies that the student's answer is correct.  Other sources of information, such as textbooks that have not been assigned, will not be considered.

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The request must be submitted within one (1) calendar week after the instructor notifies the student of the grade.  The student will be notified within one (1)calendar week if the points have or have not been awarded.  Exam questions from an exam given more than one (1) week previously will not be considered.

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Exams will be worth differing numbers of points (which is a different total each semester).  The letter grade is calculated by dividing the number of points earned on an exam by the total number of points possible on an exam. That percentage obtained will then be applied to the grade scale listed below:

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MAJOR EXAMS WILL BE WORTH 50% OF YOUR FINAL GRADE.

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MAKE-UP EXAMS:
\ A student who misses a major exam regardless of the reason(s) for missing the exam, must contact the instructor within 48 hours.  The make-up exam will be scheduled at the convenience of the instructor.  The student should keep in mind that he/she will receive a 20% deduction for taking an exam after the exam was originally administered.  Any student who does not contact the instructor within the specified 48 hours will not be permitted to make up the missed exam.  Any student that does not make up a missed exam will receive a grade of zero (0) for that exam.  There are no exceptions.
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\ •     The department has an answer machine with a date and time stamp.   If the 48 hour time frame occurs on a weekend the student should call the department number (806) 354-6068 and leave a message or you may contact me by e-mail at jemassie@actx.edu in order to comply with the 48 hour rule.

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 •     If the student is unable to contact the instructor or the office, it is his/her responsibility to designate someone else who can do this for them.                                
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•     All make-up exams, with the exception of a take-home exam, will be given in the Testing Center on the Washington Street Campus. 
\ The Testing Center is located in the Student Service Center, north of the library.  All makeup exams will be graded at the convenience of the instructor.  Please remember to bring your I.D. with you.  Your exam will not be administered without the proper identification.  Please contact the testing center personnel on the date you wish to take your make-up exam, in order to ensure that your make-up exam is available. *** Makeup exams will not be given out the last hour before closing.

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 •     HOURS FOR THE ASSESSMENT CENTER.  Telephone number is 371-5445
\ Monday - Thursday      8:00 A.M. -    7:30 P.M.
\ Friday                         8:00 A.M. -    5:00 P.M.
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\ It is the sole responsibility  of the student who has been absent to arrange with the instructor to makeup any missed exams.  When the student returns to class after an absence, the student will be expected to fully participate in any class activities including quizzes or exams.

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FINAL EXAM:
\ You will have a COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM.
\ THE FINAL EXAM IS WORTH 25% OF YOUR FINAL GRADE. 

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If the STUDENT misses the designated time for the FINAL EXAM, a grade ofzero (0) will be given for the exam, unless an incomplete has been granted. 
\ Arrangements to receive an incomplete "I" grade for the course must be made prior to the date of the final exam. 

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Incompletes are granted only for emergency situations such as hospitalization of the student, serious injury to the student on the day of the final exam, etc.  Incompletes will not be granted for situations involving vacation plans, transportation difficulties, appointments, etc.  Students who need to request an incomplete must do so prior to the scheduled time of the final exam with appropriate documentation given to the instructor.

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Final grades will not be rounded in this course.

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GRADING SUMMARY:                                                                                                                                            
\ Attendance      15% of your final grade.                                                                    
\ Daily quizzes   10% of your final grade.                                                                    
\ Major Exams   50% of your final grade.                                                                
\ Comp. Final      25% of your final grade.                                                                   
\                            100%   
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\ Grade Scale:
\ A = 90.0 - 100.0%
\ B = 80.0 - 89.9%
\ C = 70.0 - 79.9%
\ F = 69.0% or less
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Attendance

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of all class meetings.  
\ Two (2) points will be given to all students who arrive on time to class and who stay for the entire class period. 
\ Students who arrive late or leave early, regardless of the reason, will be awarded only 1 point. 
\ In order to receive any credit for attendance the student must not be more than 20 minutes late or leave class more than 20 minutes early.  

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Attendance will be worth 15% of your final grade.

Calendar

Additional Information

Jan. 21, 201                           First day of class
\ Mar. 10-16, 2014                   Spring Break
\ Apr. 24, 2014                         Last day to withdraw/drop from class 
\ May 11-14, 2014                   Final Exam

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