Tip: Diversify your CDI education to keep staff engaged

Every CDI specialist knows how difficult it can be to set aside a whole hour or more for dedicated training and education. With productivity expectations and quotas, cutting out a sizable chunk of time for learning can be challenging. Diversifying CDI education tactics can help engage staff in more meaningful ways.

Though electronic health records (EHR) and technology sometimes complicate the CDI process in select ways, CDI managers and leaders can harness technology to increase educational reach.

One method that works well is push notifications of select content. Consider incorporating a training system which can notify the staff members when there’s a new piece of information or a new training module available to them. They can then easily pull up the training on the spot rather than waiting for a group education session.

Using how-to type training videos and animations also helps engage learners on the spot and has proven to be more memorable than reading or listening. Images implant in a learner’s long-term memory much faster than other methods of education, says Amanda Southworth, an associate e-learning producer with ACDIS and HCPro.

Taking some of your educational efforts outside of the classroom helps to engage and train staff in more meaningful, memorable ways. CDI specialists lead often packed schedules; providing them with a number of learning opportunities keeps them up-to-date even during their busiest days.

Editor’s note: Amanda Southworth is an associate e-learning producer with ACDIS and HCPro. After attending the Association of Talent Development International Conference and Exposition in Atlanta, she brought back a number of training tips to incorporate into our e-learning courses. To see a complete list of HCPro’s e-learning opportunities, click here.