What issue was highlighted in the OIG Work Plans for EMR/EHR systems for 2013 and 2014?

The issue highlighted in the OIG Work Plans for EMR/EHR systems for 2013 and 2014 focused on concerns surrounding system up code selection. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) was particularly interested in how electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) systems were being utilized in coding and billing processes. This concern arose from observations that the implementation of these systems could potentially lead to inappropriate coding practices, including the risk of upcoding, where higher-level codes that reflect more complex services are incorrectly submitted, leading to increased reimbursement. This scrutiny is essential as upcoding can result in significant financial penalties and regulatory issues for healthcare providers, ultimately affecting compliance and ethical billing practices.

Other issues that may be of concern, such as patient confidentiality breaches, redundancy of patient education, or increased administrative burdens, were not the primary focus of the OIG’s work plans during that time period. While these concerns are indeed relevant to the conversation about EMR/EHR systems, the specific attention to coding practices and the potential for upcoding specifically aligns with the OIG's efforts to ensure accurate representation of services provided to patients and the appropriate level of reimbursement based on those services.