Managing dimensions

Dimensions are the key index fields for the tables in the Axiom database. For cost accounting, there are three types of dimensions: Core, Encounter, and Cost Item. The Core dimensions store generic data and options used throughout most Axiom products. The Encounter dimensions store information specific to the services provided by your organization. The Cost Item dimensions are specific to cost accounting.

Core dimensions

  • Accounts - Stores records for various pools to which values (dollars, days, and so on) can be assigned—Patient Days, Construction Costs, Medicaid discounts—quite literally anything to which a dollar amount or statistic can be assigned. This includes accounts that can be found on the balance sheet, income statement, hours, and statistics.
  • Calendar Dates - Ensures referential integrity for core data tables that are period based or other data driven attributes. It is also used as a means of managing the relationship between a calendar date and the fiscal equivalent.
  • Cost Categories - Defines the cost category and represents a grouping of accounts in the General Ledger used to perform the costing process. The cost category is the lowest level of detail at which costs are calculated for unit costs. They are stored for the calculated variable and fixed amounts.
  • Cost Pools - Defines the level at which the cost method are defined and assigned for the cost categories. For example if an entity is using the RCC method for all departments and all items, then only one cost pool is necessary. It is also used to define the level at which an RVU is used. For example, if three labor Cost Categories are using the same RVU to allocate labor costs, one cost pool can be used for the three Cost Categories. Cost Pools are a group of cost categories using the same method or RVU.
  • Departments - Includes records for each department within an organization (e.g., radiology, emergency, finance, etc.).
  • Entities - Provides basic information about the entities supported by the software and can determine for some products, e.g. Cost Accounting, which entities to include in processing of data.
  • Job Codes - Stores records for all of the job codes within your organization. Each job code represents a job position or role within the organization.
  • Pay Types - Stores records for all of the possible categories of compensation that an employee might receive. For example, regular pay, paid time off, sick pay, incentive pay, and so on.
  • YRMO Dates - A simpler version of the Cal Date dimension table, which helps processing and performance speed of the system.

Encounter dimensions

  • Age - The age of the patient during the loaded encounter. Age is a reference field for the Enc_Patient.Age, Encounter.AgeAtAdmission, and Encounter.AgeAtDischarge.
  • APR DRGs - The APR DRGs for your organization, which are commonly implemented as part of the coding and billing process.
  • Bill Types - The bill type for the primary insurance claim upon final bill drop for the encounter.
  • Discharge Status - The discharge disposition of a patient admission and/or how the patient left the provider facility for the loaded encounter.
  • Financial Classes - Use to group insurance plans into financial classes for the primary insurance claim.
  • ICD Diagnosis Codes - The ICD Diagnostic information, which is referred to by a number of tables in the system.
  • ICD Procedure Codes - The clinical procedures performed for the patient in the course of care for the encounter being loaded.
  • Insurance Plans - The insurance plan of the subscriber or guarantor for the loaded patient encounter.
  • Locations - The physical locations that have been billed within your organization. This information is used for monthly reporting and provider-level budgeting.
  • MDC Codes - Use to place a DRG into a higher level category.
  • Modifiers - The additional standard codes used to further identify services or supplies used in the course of patient care.
  • MS DRGs - The MS DRGs for hospital acute care providers.
  • Patient Types - The type of patient for the loaded encounter.
  • Place of Service Codes - The Place of Service (POS) codes, which are standard industry accepted codes that indicate where the services were rendered.
  • Point of Origin - The nature of a diagnosis coded for a patient during the IP encounter being loaded.
  • Present On Admission - The nature of a diagnosis coded for a patient during the IP encounter being loaded.
  • Providers - The providers within your organization. This information is used for monthly reporting and provider-level budgeting.
  • Reporting DRGs - Use to combine or determine the primary DRGs used for reporting purposes.
  • Services - The services of the patient during the encounter course of care.
  • Sex - The sex of the patient during the loaded encounter. Sex is a reference field for the Enc_Patient.Sex.
  • Stations - The nursing station of a patient when first admitted to a facility as well as the station from which the discharge occurred for the loaded encounter.
  • Transaction Codes - The transaction codes for payments and adjustments stored in the Enc_Payments table for the loaded encounter.

Cost Item dimensions

  • CDM Codes - The charge codes within your organization. The charge codes are used to track gross revenue and statistics at an inpatient (IP) and outpatient (OP) level.
  • Cost Items - Defines the cost object to which costs are allocated during the unit cost calculation processes for all methods.
  • CPT Codes - The CPT Codes that have been billed within your organization. This information is used for monthly reporting and provider-level budgeting.
  • HCPCS Codes - The HCPCS codes within your organization used as level three CPT codes, which provide further detail as to the services, procedures, or supplies that were used in the course of care.
  • Revenue Codes - The revenue codes used within your organization.