CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 23

AHIMA releases ethics guidance for CDI professionals

November 11, 2010
News

In the spring, AHIMA released its “Guidance for Clinical Documentation Improvement Programs” in the Journal of AHIMA and also published its 41-page Clinical Documentation Improvement Toolkit. The documents offer sample job descriptions, definitions for documentation clarifications...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 23

Tool: Body Mass Index documentation reminder flyer

November 11, 2010
Education, Clinical & Coding

CDI specialists need to use all the tools available in their documentation training box to effectively change physician behavior. Educational sessions are helpful, particularly when followed by effective queries targeting the same educational issue. Combine this approach with e-mail newsletters...Read More »
CDI Blog - Volume 4, Issue 22

Q&A: Determining factors for query rate increases

May 12, 2011
Ask ACDIS, Physician Queries

Q: I have heard that some facilities have seen their number of generated queries actually increasing rather than decreasing over time. Generally, we hope that by improving the documentation concurrently, we would decrease the need to ask the questions retrospectively. If...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 22

News: Partial freeze of code changes announced

October 28, 2010
News

At the September 15, 2010 ICD-9-CM Coordination & Maintenance Committee Meeting, the committee implemented a partial freeze for both ICD-9-CM codes and ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes prior to the start of ICD-10 on October 1, 2013.

The partial freeze will occur as follows:...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 22

News: Sepsis survivors face future health problems

October 28, 2010
News, Clinical & Coding

Patients who survive sepsis infections face a long battle with cognitive and physical decline, according to research from University of Michigan Health System physicians that will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today, Oct. 27. Theodore "Jack"...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 22

Tip: Cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis

October 28, 2010
Education, Clinical & Coding

MS-DRG 432 (cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis with MCC) is one of many MS-DRGs slated for RAC validation audits by HealthDataInsights and Connolly Healthcare, two of the four RACs nationwide. 

RACs may target this particular MS-DRG for a variety of reasons, says...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 22

Column: MLN Matters article offers insight for CDI role

October 28, 2010
Quality & Regulatory

by Glenn Krauss, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, C-CDI, CCDS

The release of CMS Medlearn Matters articles Special Edition 1027,  Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Demonstration High...Read More »
CDI Strategies - Volume 4, Issue 22

Q&A: Offering physicians options does not necessarily pose compliance risk

October 28, 2010
Ask ACDIS

Q: Recently, a consultant suggested that if we asked the physician to clarify systolic/diastolic on a query form for congestive heart failure (CHF) it might be construed as leading the physician if there had been no previous mention of...Read More »

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