CDI professionals see a lot of physician documentation—not all of it good or pretty. A few annoying and troublesome problems fall into the “bad” or “ugly” categories. Describing a few of these worrisome practice patterns and identifying ways to improve...Read More »
Linnea Thennes, RN, BS, CCDS, works at Centegra Health System, a two-hospital system in Northern Ilinois that has plans to add a third facility. She is one of the founding members of the Northern Illinois CDI Network, which began in March 2008. Thennes is very proud to have been among the group...Read More »
They say starting a new job can be one of the most stressful of life’s challenges. Imagine changing careers.
Ronalyn Reyes, RN, BSN, has been a CDI specialist for little more than two months. Previously employed by BlueCross BlueShield in its prior-authorization arm, she wanted to...Read More »
Over and over again, CDI specialists ask: “How do you obtain physician buy-in?”
At Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., physician query response rate rose from roughly 50% back in its CDI program’s early days to an estimated 98% today. So how did Carle do it?
The attached HIM Query Policy and Procedure was donated by Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., and was reprinted and adapted with permission.Read More »
by Beth Soule, RN, MSN, CCDS After being in the CDI field a little over a year, I ordered The CCDS Exam Study Guide and signed up to take the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) exam. I remember wondering if my seven years as a case manager or my clinical experience...Read More »
When hospitals appeal their denials they typically win. The AHA's RACTrac report indicates that hospitals appeal more than 40% of their denials with a roughly 75% success rate.
That’s where CDI professionals come in.Read More »
The following questions were answered by Melanie Haycraft, RN, CCDS, RAC government audit coordinator for North Oakes Health Systems in Hammond, La.Read More »