Note from the Director of Programming: Timely guidance on case mix index published

by Rebecca Hendren

Does it ever feel like case mix index (CMI) is all some leaders care about? This metric is widely used and often badly misunderstood. For CDI professionals, it can be tough to communicate the realities of CMI and what CDI can influence—and what it cannot.

ACDIS Interim Director Laurie Prescott and members of the ACDIS Advisory Board have tackled this issue in a new white paper: “Demystifying and communicating case mix index.” ACDIS members can download the white paper and use it as a resource for understanding and communication at their organization.

The paper covers the complexities of CMI, and how best to communicate CMI trends and fluctuations with organizational administration. It provides a review of CMI basics and delves into its present use. The authors speak to what CDI does and does not own, and to CMI’s ongoing viability as a metric. It concludes with a discussion on how to effectively discuss CMI with organizational leadership and answer the tough questions that will inevitably arise.

ACDIS members can review and discuss this valuable tool now by going to the “Thought Leadership” tab and selecting “White Papers,” or by clicking here.

Editor’s note: Hendren is the director of programming for ACDIS. Contact her at rhendren@acdis.org.