Note from the Instructor: CCDS test prep

By Laurie L. Prescott, RN, MSN, CCDS, CDIP, CRC

I get way too many email messages. Cleaning out my mailbox is just too much work some days. Does that ever happen to you?

But there are certain emails I love to see; particularly the messages from Boot Camp students telling me they passed the CCDS exam. These emails leave me with a smile on my face and motivate me to continue working through my inbox.

Unfortunately, not every message is a positive one. I do hear from candidates who don’t succeed on their first attempt. First, I remind them that it’s not a failure if they step up and plan to retake the exam. Failure only happens if they decide not to try again.

Then, I offer some advice. I find candidates who don’t pass are often surprised about the extent of content they are tested on. I often hear comments such as:

• “I am not involved with interpretation of analytics.”
• “I have no experience with quality reporting.”
• “I don’t review surgical patients.”
• “I have never heard of PEPPER [Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports].”

The exam objectives are published in the CCDS Exam Candidate Handbook, which is available for free on the ACDIS website. The objectives in the handbook outline the subject material that the exam focuses on. Eight specific areas of content are identified, with several objectives listed below each area:

1. Healthcare regulations, reimbursement, and documentation requirements related to the IPPS
2. Anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and medical terminology
3. Medical record documentation
4. Healthcare facility CDI program analysis
5. Communication skills
6. Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
7. Professionalism, ethics, and compliance
8. Impact of reportable diagnoses on quality of care

Take a highlighter, and run through the list of the specific objectives—highlight those areas in which you have the least experience and prioritize your preparation time around those areas.

If you have no experience related to the interpretation of metrics, seek a mentor within your facility who can assist you. Find that person who manages the reporting of your department’s metrics.

If you don’t review cardiovascular records, focus some education time on Major Diagnostic Category 5, Diseases and Disorders of the Circulatory System. You can review this is the CCDS Exam Study Guide, the CDI Pocket Guide, or The CDI Specialist’s Complete Training Guide. Or, find a co-worker with this background as a strength.  

If you are not well versed in compliance, review the Office of Inspector General’s work plan and perhaps spend a bit of time reviewing PEPPER data.

Remember, you are allowed two references for the exam: an approved pharmacology text and the DRG Expert, published by Optum. Make sure you understand how to use the DRG Expert; don’t just drag along 10 pounds of book and not understand how to access the information it provides. Trust me, if you understand the book, it can assist you in providing the correct answer on a number of questions.

Lastly, there are three MUST reads prior to the exam:

1. The ACDIS Code of Ethics
2. The Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
3. The ACDIS/AHIMA Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice

Preparation is the key to success. There is a wealth of material to guide you on the ACDIS website. There is even an entire thread in the ACDIS Forum related to the exam. Develop a study plan, follow it through, and sleep well the night before the exam. Then, please email me when you pass!

Editor’s note: Prescott is the CDI Education Director at HCPro in Middleton, Massachusetts. Contact her at lprescott@hcpro.com. For information regarding CDI Boot Camps, visit www.hcprobootcamps.com/courses/10040/overview.