Conference Update: Speaker Q&A
While we normally roll out our speaker previews during the week, we were just too excited about the fact that the annual conference is just two days away! Some of you may be boarding flights to San Antonio, and others are anxiously finishing up your last few preparations. Wherever you are, we wanted to give you another sneak peek at one of this year’s sessions.
We spoke with Sarah C. Mendiola, Esq., LPN, CPC, Director of Clinical and Legal Services at Washington & West, LLC, who will be presenting, “Completing the Circle: The Importance of CDIS Participation in the Denial Management Process.”
Q: Why is it important for CDI specialists to participate in the denial management process?
A: CDI specialists need to understand what denials their organization is receiving, so that they can implement the appropriate safeguards on the front-end to prevent them from reoccurring. Since the CDI team has the opportunity to review the documentation, typically before the claim is even billed, they have the opportunity to implement changes in practice to prevent future denials.
Q: How is your topic important for everyone in the CDI role, regardless of professional background?
A: I think that we all tend to focus on our particular role or position within an organization. It is important to understand the broader scope of what we do on a day-to-day basis and how it can financially, and otherwise, affect your organization as a whole.
Q: How does your perspective differ from other professionals in CDI?
A: Being a coder and a clinician makes you look at documentation in a different way. You really understand what is lacking, and can see some of the breakdown between what may have actually occurred during the service date and what was billed. I think my perspective may be different due to my legal training. It makes me focus more on the implications of current practices, and what they can potentially lead to in the future.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality for a CDI professional to have?
A: There are so many. It really depends on the role of the CDI department in that facility. However, I think that it is most important for CDI professionals to be detail-oriented and good educators. It is important to know your audience, to understand your physicians and practitioners, and be able to convey information in a way that is well-received, and will lead to practice changes when needed.
Q: Why do you think attending the ACDIS conference is important?
A: Healthcare is always changing. Conferences, such as the ACDIS conference, help to keep CDI professionals abreast of changes in the field. It also gives you a chance to discuss issues and collaborate with your colleagues from around the nation. Chances are whatever issue or challenge facing your organization has been encountered by someone before. Conferences give you the opportunity to brainstorm with your colleagues, or learn from them, and take that knowledge back to your own organization.