Every CDI specialist knows how difficult it can be to set aside a whole hour or more for dedicated training and education. With productivity expectations and quotas, cutting out a sizable chunk of time for learning can be challenging. Diversifying CDI education tactics can help engage staff in...Read More »
Q: What guidance do you have for building a denial management team?
A: As with any team, it is important to have the right players working together with identified roles and responsibilities established for each. The members of the denials management team...Read More »
Determine the underlying cause of the altered mental status
Remember that the various forms of altered mental states have underlying causes, which, if defined, diagnosed, and documented, accurately represent the patient’s...Read More »
The work of a CDI professional can at times seem isolating and unimportant. Does it matter if a query gets answered? When we educate physicians and tell them what they document matters, are they listening?
Then a case comes along and demonstrates...Read More »
Q: Let’s say a provider documented chronic kidney disease (CKD), 2/2 hypertension (HTN), and diabetes mellitus (DM), and the stage of CKD was not specified, but lab results show patient was in stage 2. Could I assign codes for CKD, stage unspecified, Hypertensive CKD w/ stage 1-4, and...Read More »
In ICD-10-CM, defining, diagnosing, and documenting the various forms of altered mental status and their underlying causes remains an ongoing challenge for physicians and their facilities.
Even the esteemed New England Journal of...Read More »