Well-conceived, well-documented and consistently applied parameters are
essential to business intelligence. Most often, however, they are residual
products of generations of financial and operational leadership and rarely are
they adequate to support effective data integration. Uniform Parameter Sets
accomplish four things:
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Guide health centers that are implementing business intelligence programs.
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Streamline and simplify grant and other compliance-related reporting.
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Immediately identify anomalous data that constitute errors and/or
opportunities.
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Provide the basis for meaningful benchmark reporting.
There are two types or levels of Uniform Parameter sets and definitions.
Summary-level parameters provide a consistent basis for compliance and
benchmark reporting without requiring health centers to change existing
parameters. UPS also provides optional subsidiary or detail-level parameters to
guide health centers in establishing parameters that support effective data
integration. The six parameter categories are:
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Department categories, departments, services provided under each department.
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Revenue/cost elements and revenue/expense accounts grouped under each element.
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Labor categories, subsidiary job/position codes (provider and staff), salary
account grouping.
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Payer categories, bill codes (a.k.a. financial class, etc) with revenue account
cross reference.
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Service (CPT/HCPC) categories, service items and relative value weights.
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Indirect cost centers and allocation bases.
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