Like all reporting structures, CMS updates its Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) list each year. Recently, version 23 was released, and it contains some notable additions that CDI professionals—whether inpatient or outpatient—should be aware of.Read More »
Volunteering to join a local chapter or networking group leadership team is an exciting endeavor. It can also be intimidating. Having clearly delineated expectations for volunteers can help.Read More »
by Richard Pinson, MD, FACP, CCS and Cynthia Tang, RHIA, CCS
The clinical world now has a new set of criteria for malnutrition, thanks to representatives from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and...Read More »
It’s a problem most CDI professionals reviewing pediatric records know well: physicians are often reticent to diagnose acute respiratory failure for their patients.Read More »
When a patient comes into the hospital and, despite the medical staff’s best efforts, dies, the documentation in the record should accurately reflect how truly sick the patient was. Unfortunately, the record frequently depicts a more-or-less healthy patient who came into the hospital and then...Read More »
CDI specialists’ salaries continue to grow, according to the 2017 CDI Salary Survey, but participants this year aren’t as optimistic as in years past. Similarly, job titles...Read More »
Q: Our coders often select the principal diagnosis based on how invasive the testing is. For example, a patient comes in with vertigo and hematemesis. For the vertigo, the physician orders a brain CT, IV medications, and an ear, nose, and throat consult. The patient is diagnosed...Read More »