Many outpatient CDI professionals stepped into their roles blind—not knowing where to begin or how to tell if they were successful. However, as programs mature, they need to be able to track their progress for a number of reasons, including focusing physician education and justifying continued...Read More »
By T. Nichole “Niki” Baca BS, BSN, RN, CCDS, and Sydni Johnson RN, BSN
In grade school, your teacher probably asked you to draw pictures of what life in 2020—or some other futuristic-sounding date—would look like. In response, you or your classmates drew things like flying cars,...Read More »
Every year the Chapter Advisory Board reviews the local chapter agreement form to ensure compliance with best practices and update the document with benefits for leadership and local chapter members. While there were only minor changes to this year, local chapter leaders must review, sign, and...Read More »
Q: I’m a bit confused by sepsis sequencing. Should it always be coded as the principal diagnosis, or are there instances where it wouldn’t be principal?
A: If sepsis is present on admission (POA), sepsis (the systemic illness) is coded first, followed by...Read More »
By Stephen Houlahan, RN, MSN, MBA, CCDS
The future of aortic valve replacement (AVR) is here, and it is called trans AVR (TAVR). Also known as trans-aortic valve implantation (TAVI), TAVR has been commercially available in Europe since 2007 and in the United States since 2011. It...Read More »
by Trey La Charité, MD, FACP, SFHM, CCS, CCDS
Recovery Auditor (RA) denials raise my blood pressure more than anything else (except maybe the postal service and the IRS). The constantly increasing number of clinical validation denials are repeated attacks against my hospital and...Read More »
by Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish there was a code for that?” Good news! You can make your dreams come true by submitting a code proposal to the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee (C&M). in this article, I’m going to walk you...Read More »