When asked, most CDI professionals will say that the primary goal of CDI is improved patient care. The idea that CDI is “all about the money” is, as all CDI professionals know, inaccurate and reductive. Yes, CDI efforts can lead to more accurate (and often...Read More »
Health status does not exist in a vacuum, and it can be easy to forget that social and environmental factors can substantially impact a patient’s health status and eventual outcomes. However, strides have been made to recognize this fact and act accordingly: To...Read More »
Historically, CDI specialists have not included quality concerns in their regular chart reviews, leaving such efforts to experts in the quality department. With the advent of pay-for-quality programs and public quality rating systems from CMS, Leapfrog Group...Read More »
After years of working to engage providers and get them on board with CDI efforts, every seasoned CDI professional knows there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Some physicians will quickly understand the benefits of improving documentation to help their facility’s...Read More »
In my experience, the term “quality” means different things to different people, even within the same organization. Additionally complicating the situation, the term is typically used in a narrative discussing related concepts such as...Read More »
Clinical validation denials are those in which a payer denies a claim based on the grounds that the coded diagnosis (or diagnoses) did not meet the clinical criteria for that condition. CDI professionals involved in appealing these denials often complain that...Read More »
by Evon Dawson, BSN, RN, CCDS
In CDI, education is a necessity not only for improving one’s skill set, but also to keep up with the constant evolution of healthcare. As stated in the ACDIS Code of Ethics, all CDI specialists should “Advance their specialty knowledge and practice...Read More »