Anyone done HEDIS with Outcomes Inc?

Specialties Quality Improvement

Published

Hello,

I'm considering a HEDIS job with Outcomes Inc for the spring 2006. I live in Seattle and have 2 toddlers that I will need to find care for while I do this. Outcomes said they pay $4/chart and expect an average of 6-8 charts done per hour. Apparently all that needs to be done is finding lab results and copying them. Not really anything that requires much skill! I was hoping it would be interesting but it sounds pretty boring.

Can anyone tell me how many charts they typically do in an hour for this type of work? They only pay mileage after 40miles.

Any idea if the work is steady and reliable? Don't want to pay for daycare and then end up not working.

Know of any other companies that are hiring in Seattle area?

I decided to give Outcomes Inc a try this year and they have really surprised me. I was a bit worried at first giving my personal information via the internet but they are actually a great Company that I have really enjoyed working with these past 3 months. We are finishing up with the D-HEDIS project and they asked me if I would like to work on another project with them. My calendar was as I asked to work only 10am-2pm. My first few days I was only pulling about 4-5 charts an hour but now I am up to 10-12 charts an hour. I am extremely happy with Outcomes Inc. The money is not bad and I give them the hours I want to work. I am hoping they will continue to allow me to work with them. I did read alot of negative notes posted but I wam letting you know they are a great comapny to work for. I will agree that I did have 3 appointments that none of the charts belong to theat specific office so I emailed my Rep and asked if I could be compensated in any other way and they paid me per hour for each appointment. So they do accomadate and appreciate their employees even a Temp like me. I hope this helps!

I completed Outcomes' entire employment process several months ago, including reserving at least 20 hours a week for the duration of their record review process and passing their competency test. I had repeated urgent emails and phone calls regarding "we've gotta get you scheduled."

End result? I still have no assignment and their season will be closing in a few weeks. I emptied my calendar or rearranged it, bargining in good faith. No one has ever called to say "hang in there with us, we'll get you set up in the next few weeks." For the last month there has been no communication on their end and my phone calls go unreturned.

For most of us, setting aside at least 20 hours a week for several months is a monumental task. When one agrees to do this there is an assumption that one's time will be utilized. I have no idea of what to make of this. Outcomes seems like an honorable company. Perhaps their reps are just too overwhelmed to be responsive. I don't know.

hi, and thanks to all who have added their experience/thoughts re: outcomes, inc. ffice:office" />

i have past experience with hedis, but it was about ten years ago, and we mainly went to hospitals, rather than offices. would someone who has recently worked with outcomes, inc. please tell me more about how much copying is done from the charts? i'm hearing different answers from various posts, and would really like to clarify that. outcomes' ads here in los angeles area say they supply the reviewer with a scanner and a laptop, but they don't mention copying of documents, except in one brief sentence.

i have a lot of experience with chart reviews in different settings, and know that it can be very tedious and time-consuming in some instances, as someone has mentioned, having to take charts apart, replace documents correctly, not to mention crawling around on the floor finding a power outlet! i've always liked the detective work, though.

i also am not sure how they differentiate nurse abstractors from field reviewers. are the field reviewers just gathering the data needed for the nurse abstractors to use?

their ad says they "pay competitive wages," but doesn't give any actual figures. i think they ask that applicants give them a great deal of information without reciprocating. i've applied for jobs online in the past, and have never been asked to send in a cancelled check and other information used for direct deposit, until i've been hired. it doesn't make sense to me.

so, thanks so much, i hope to hear from others who have experience with outcomes, inc., before i take any more time investigating. btw, this is my first post here, so please forgive any errors of omission/submission!

I've done Outcomes. However, I work through an agency, who pays me by the hour. The average number of charts that can be done in 8 hours is about 15. That averages to about 2 charts per hour. The clinics we are assigned to are not always kind and welcoming. Since I don't drive very far, there is no reimbursement for mileage. And yes the work can be VERY BORING. The people at Outcomes are very kind and considerate, although you may or may not get to work a 40 hr pay-week.

I am trying to find out the same info. for WA state. I am in the Kitsap Co. area.

rapidnurse thats all you get per hour.....I guess it only makes you go fast when it matters.....I am a direct hire and we get paid by the chart trust me I get more than 2 done per hour and it don't matter what kind of measure I am doing I average 5-10 per hour by hand getting out what I need and scanning the info.

Specializes in Labor & Delivery; Nursing Administration.

Hi, I am new and looking at working on a project for HEDIS in SC; What type of money can a project 6 wks bring? Is it worth it?

It depends on how you are paid. When I did HEDIS in CA, I was paid by the hour, when I recently did it on line, I was paid by the chart. If paid by the chart, it also depends on which measures you are doing...some can be 5 min., some 1/2 hour. It also depends on if/how much you get paid for travel time.

I quit my four week long job with Outcomes yesterday. I traveled from Phoenix to Houston to work for them and they made a lot of promises, but kept none of them. I got home to find my first paycheck of $27.70, for which I had submitted a documented work-week of 57 hours. It took two days of arguing to get them to pay up and it is not the amount I was quoted when I accepted the job. I am waiting for an "over-nighted" paycheck right now, but it's already 1030am, so... Do not do anything for these people until you get an e-mail of the terms of your job: hourly rate for travel, per chart rate, expenses, etc. They even tried to deny my expenses for meals! Like I was going to live in Houston for a week and have nothing to eat! They seem very young and immature to me. They have not traveled and certainly have no medical experience. When backed into a corner, each one has lied to me. I am retired at 52 years old and have been doing chart abstraction for over ten years. DO NOT WORK FOR ANY OF THESE COMPANIES UNTIL OR UNLESS THE DEAL BENEFITS YOU!!

Hi Arby,

This site is new to me. I sent you a post earlier today. I haven't scrolled all the way down yet, but I wanted to catch-up with you b/4 U got gone.

Searching for information on getting into HEDIS.

Hamyani

beware of this company, outcomes, inc (out of virginia), which performs hedis reporting using odis. goes by either http://ky.my-odis.com/about.jsp or http://www.outcomesinc.com/employment.asp.

i worked for this company for 2 months, using my own resources for such items as: gas, paper, ink, phone calls, faxing, postal, etc. and did not get paid for the majority of time i spent working. i would call daily, keeping in touch w/my field representative, as instructed. i would perform all aspects of the job as outlined in the job description, only to find out someone else would go into the paperwork i sent via computer to change the information. i would be sent to md offices which would be closed; sent to offices which only had 2 charts out of 30 available; sent to offices which had "hybrid" charts, meaning the field reviewer had to collect both electronic & paper information (this can add an additional day to your one day schedule, without being compensated for your additional time, effort, resources used). finally, told them i was resigning due to my outgoing expenses, not being paid, company not fulfilling their part of the contract.

in total, this job cost me approx. $1000 + in 2 months, whereas, i was paid only $60.00 for the initial training. i in turn, did not return their laptop nor their scanner. i have kept the lines of communication open w/this company, trying to get the money owed to me, after which, their equipment would be returned. received an e-mail from them stating if their equipment was not returned, they would be contacting my state nursing board to make a complaint against me. today, i just received my w-2 from this company, reporting they paid me $800.00. needless to say, shot off another e-mail to them to either pay me, or fix this w-2.

one last thing -- when i did report i was quitting, they did offer to pay me $30.00/hr vs. $4.00/chart. so, if one does foolishly apply to this company, demand an hourly pay.

beware of this company, outcomes, inc (out of virginia), which performs hedis reporting using odis. goes by either http://ky.my-odis.com/about.jsp or http://www.outcomesinc.com/employment.asp.

it's unfortunate you had such a bad experience with this company as you have posted this message on at least 3 threads where people were inquiring re: hedis and outcomes.

i worked for the above company for two projects last year; one being hedis and the other payment integrity audits (pia) for a medicare advantage plan. i have to say i was treated fairly by the company and all matters and concerns were handled professionally by them and my field reviewer advocate. she was always there to listen and offer assistance. when i needed printer cartriges or paper, she reminded me that there was a $40 allowance for supplies; when i got to a site and they cancelled at my arrival, she made sure i was paid administrative time for my travel and time spent on site. in fact, when there were issues pertaining to office manager being unprofessional and making comments re: previous fiield reviewers who had been to the clinic she even called the office and set up clear expectations with them. never was underpaid for my services nor shorted from what was promised in my contract. i was paid per chart. granted, there were some measures that took considerably longer than others or a site with only two chart; i was always able to request hourly rate vs. per chart rate for those sites. scheduling always called me first if they wanted me to travel beyond what i was willing. i never had to speak with my supervisor's supervisor. she was always spot, right on the first time.

i will probably not do hedis reviews with them this year. there were not enough charts in my area to justify the time committment . pia was a much better gig as i let the scheduler know how many charts i could do in a day (average) and they assigned me to sites with an average of that chart count for each day. as for not returning the equipment....well, it was in you contract........ and that is protected health information inside. .......of people.

rubyrn,chpn -- just a brief response to yours, only because you seemed to have confused this as being personal, when i simply was giving a fair warning to all those who were thinking about this particular company (obviously, mine was not the only negative response -- surely you noticed this seeing as you tracked my other responses).

it's rather fortunate you had a decent field representative et al who were so forthcoming in informing you of what resources, monies, time spent, and other allowances available to you if the need arouse or as a representative of the company. unfortunately, i did not, although i was on the phone every day w/issues, concerns, monies spent, charts being available or unavailable, sites being closed, or the rare instance when a day went right (one site, which was almost an hour away from my home, was closed, even though i had confirmed the day & time the day before of me being scheduled. upon arrival, realizing office was closed, called field reviewer several times. awaited at this site for over an hour per field representative's request. called field reviewer again, told to go home -- was almost 30 mins from my home when asked to go back to the office, being assured someone would available. this was the only time i was offered administrative time. i did so, and office remained closed. again, notified field representative. was told to go home, not to worry about it. never saw this money, nor was i ever reimbursed for the travel). i actually had 2 field representatives, and it was confusing for me to know which one to call first, as well as difficult not knowing if one was keeping the other updated much less the company updated. also, there were no toll free numbers available to call in, it was all long distance calls -- this too added up quickly.

yes, there are hipaa rules, which i have not violated. this information is still safely secured in their computer, as well as being available to the company when i uploaded to their site as per my job description. contract states payment for job performed, which i did. the issue is i did not receive the monies i earned and they obviously are reporting i did via w-2. seems to me this can simply be resolved by paying me; shouldn't be too difficult, it's call "ACCOUNTING" . i gets paid, you gets computer.

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