Depending on how they are sequenced, CC and MCC conditions can have a direct effect on MS-DRG assignment, says ACDIS Advisory Board member Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP, clinical documentation improvement (CDI) education director at HCPro, Inc. in Danvers, Mass., and an AHIMA-...Read More »
Q: A few times I have seen physicians document Schatzki’s Ring. I understand that if the physician documents “acquired Schatzki’s Ring” that maps to code 530.3 no CC/MCC. However, how would...Read More »
The phrase “sepsis syndrome” is starting to appear in medical records these days, but unfortunately it’s a term that requires further clarification. When it’s used, CDI staff/coders should query the physician to clarify the condition being treated. That’s the latest guidance from AHA’s Coding...Read More »
AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM released its first ICD-10 coding guidance in its Fourth Quarter 2012 issue. The guidance is welcome as the first official coding regulations concerning ICD-10 to come out to date, other than the ICD-10 Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.Read More »
Medical schools exist to train physicians to care for sick people. I chose to be a hospitalist path because I see the value of managing issues found only in an acute care setting. I am the most professionally satisfied when I see a patient with a problem...Read More »
If you spend any time on the ACDIS networking group “CDI Talk,” you’ve seen Katy Good’s frequent commentary. She’s very active in CDI matters, both through ACDIS and at Flagstaff (Ariz.) Medical Center, where she is the CDI program coordinator. Now, you can get to know a little more about her in...Read More »
Concurrent coding. It’s a process whereby coders assign ICD-9-CM codes throughout the patient’s stay, rather than after discharge. But the practice isn’t a common one. According to a recent CDI poll on the ACDIS website, only 13% of nearly 170 respondents perform concurrent coding at their...Read More »
When you think of a travel nurse, perhaps you picture a fresh-faced RN graduating from college and setting off to see the country. Maybe you think seeing different cities would be great but feel like it has been too many years since your feet fit into those traveling boots. And being an interim...Read More »
