Download the November/December 2019 edition of the CDI Journal!

FEATURES
9 IPPS final rule
CDI specialists need to stay informed about changes to the IPPS rule and to the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting to ensure appropriate query construction; understand changes to code assignment rules; determine the outcomes to finance, quality, and other metrics related to the changes; and help prevent claim denials.

14 PSIs, POA indicators offer CDI-quality starting point
From readmissions, to mortality, to Patient Safety Indicators, and beyond, CDI programs have a myriad of potential options in terms of record review focus.

17 Outpatient quality collaboration
Like everything on the outpatient CDI world, quality reviews can be mystifying—from the myriad outpatient quality programs that resemble alphabet soup, to the prospective payment system, to the focus on chronic conditions.

23 CDI programs’ role in population health initiatives
As with any other initiative, CDI specialists’ roles with population health initiatives should be focused and specific, which will ensure CDI can make a difference without stretching themselves too thin.

42 Consensus recommendations for optimizing EHRs for nutrition care
ACDIS partnered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition to develop recommendations for using the EHR for nutrition care.

DEPARTMENTS
4 Associate Director’s Note
Melissa Varnavas discusses how CDI professionals can best follow the rules set forth each year.

6 Advisory Board Note
Susan Schmitz reviews the high-level changes in the IPPS final rule and the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.

21 Podcast Recap
Caryl Liptak and Regené Collier share their experiences with bringing CDI to the home health setting at Baptist Health System.  

30 Coding Corner
Lori-Lynne Webb digs into the 2020 Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting updates.

34 Physician Advisor’s Corner
Trey La Charité shares advice for ending the problem of conflicting documentation.

37 Coding Clinic for CDI
Laurie Prescott unpacks the advice included in the Third Quarter 2019 Coding Clinic release.

40 Meet a Member
Kelly Ellis is the director of coding, CDI, and compliance at the Ohio State University Healthcare. She has been in the CDI field for about 10 years.

OPINIONS & INSIGHTS
12 Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice FAQs
ACDIS and AHIMA jointly answer some of the frequently asked questions they’ve received on the 2019 practice brief update.

28 Regulatory Committee Insight
Teresa Krepps unpacks the September Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
BONUS: Obtain one (1) CEU for reading this Journal ACDIS members are entitled to one continuing education credit for reading the CDI Journal and taking this 20-question quiz.