Note from the Instructor: Informal education offers CDI opportunities

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

The majority of education CDI professionals offer to physicians and other clinical staff is provided informally. On-the-spot education while interacting with the medical staff on the unit, often saves the physician time and paperwork. It also often saves the CDI specialist from having to submit follow up queries, too. However, for this method to work the CDI staff needs to be available and visible to the medical team.

Often my most successful teaching moments took place on the elevator, in the stairwell, in the parking lot, or in the cafeteria. These opportunities are invaluable. Rarely, did an educational opportunity occur while I was at my desk.

If the physician approaches you, they are displaying a motivation to learn and an interest in your mission. A positive, competent response on your part will reinforce their perception of you as a resource and they will come back with more questions. If you are unsure of the right answer, be honest, and tell them you will research the answer. Always, follow up with a response in a timely manner.

I often found a conversation with one physician would be overheard by others and suddenly I would find myself with an audience of several physicians learning and sharing their thoughts with each other. For example, in posing a question to a hospitalist about the causal organism of a pneumonia may lead to a discussion about documentation of “probable” or “likely” diagnoses and the importance of following that documentation through to the discharge summary. Meanwhile, the resident two feet away was about to dictate the discharge summary in a similar case asks the CDI specialist if he got his documentation correct. One conversation can lead to another and learning can happen, even when you least expect it.

Examples of informal education include one-on-one conversations, topic-specific tips , newsletters, posters/fliers, pocket cards. Check out the ACDIS Forms & Tools Library for a host of donated materials to kick-start your efforts. The only limit is your imagination!

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