Activity for Module 12
Points: 30
1. Work measurement and productivity problems. 10 points total
a. Based on a productivity log, a coder completed 22 charts during a 7.5-hour
workday. How many charts did he code per hour? Round to the nearest whole
number. (5 points)
To find the number of charts coded per hour:
Total charts coded = 22
Total hours worked = 7.5
Charts coded per hour ≈ Total charts / Total hours = 22 / 7.5 ≈ 2.93
Rounded to the nearest whole number, the coder coded approximately 3
charts per hour.
b. Based on work measurement studies on your coders, you find that 20% of
their time is spent querying physicians about missing or unclear
documentation. If your coders work a 7.5-hour day, how many minutes do
they spend per day querying physicians? (5 points)
To calculate the time spent querying physicians per day:
Total workday hours = 7.5 hours
Percentage of time spent querying physicians = 20%
Time spent per day querying physicians ≈ Total workday hours × Percentage
of time spent = 7.5 hours × 0.20 = 1.5 hours
Convert hours to minutes: 1.5 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 90 minutes
The coders spend approximately 90 minutes per day querying physicians.
c. A coding supervisor reviewed the productivity logs of four recently-hired
coders after one month (coders work 5 days per week.) The supervisor
compiled a report, shown below. Complete analysis of the report and
determine which employee will require additional training or assistance in
order to meet the coding standard. (5 points)
PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Coding standard: 20 charts per day
Code Total charts
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
r per month
90 + 100 + 95
1 90 100 95 100 + 100 = 385
charts
100 + 105 +
2 100 105 105 95 105 + 95 = 405
charts
70 + 75 + 90 +
3 70 75 90 85
85 = 320 charts
85 + 85 + 90 +
4 85 85 90 100 100 = 360
charts
Comparing to the coding standard of 20 charts per day (20 charts/day * 20 days =
400 charts/month), Coder 3 had the lowest total charts per month, indicating a
potential need for additional training or assistance to meet the coding standard.
2. The release of information (ROI) processing unit is expected to respond to
routine requests for information within five (5) working days of receipt. Work
measurement data collected for one month reveals the following: (10 points
total)
Total routine requests received: 200
Requests responded to in 6 days: 100
Requests responded to in 2 days: 100
a. What is the average turnaround time for routine requests in the ROI
unit? (7.5 points)
To find the average turnaround time for routine requests:
Total routine requests responded to in 2 days = 100
Total routine requests responded to in 6 days = 100
Total routine requests = 200
Average turnaround time = (Total requests responded to in 2 days
× 2 + Total requests responded to in 6 days × 6) / Total routine
requests
= (100 × 2 + 100 × 6) / 200
= (200 + 600) / 200
= 800 / 200
= 4 days
The average turnaround time for routine requests in the ROI unit is
4 days.
b. What is the performance variance from the standard of 5 days?
Explain your answer. (7.5 points)
To find the performance variance from the standard of 5 days:
Standard turnaround time = 5 days
Performance variance = Average turnaround time - Standard turnaround time
= 4 days - 5 days
= -1 day
The negative variance indicates that the ROI unit is responding to routine requests
faster than the standard, by one day on average.
