As hospital and health system finance leaders look for ways to enhance revenue in an era of shrinking margins, many turn their attention to their organization's case mix index (CMI). A higher CMI means more reimbursement dollars for providing care because it indicates that a hospital is treating...Read More »
$500,000. That’s what facilities expect as their CDI programs’ annual return on investment (ROI), according to 58% of more than 1,660 respondents to a recent ACDIS website poll. When pressed for their opinion regarding the results,...Read More »
I have found that a healthy skepticism needs to be applied within the realm of clinical documentation integrity. In fact, I am thinking of hanging “Caveat Emptor” (Latin for “buyer beware”) sign over my desk! Read More »
A new position paper written by the ACDIS Advisory Board (see the Position Paper section of the website) seeks to clearly define the CDI specialist’s role and establish professional standards for implementing new programs, redefining an existing department, or hiring new staff members.
There is no doubt about it—CDI specialists will be taking on more work and a greater complexity related to that work in 2014 due to the implementation of ICD-10. The question for many CDI managers around the country is: How do I keep my staff intact, given that they’re facing a greater workload...Read More »
When training new hires, managers need to understand a person’s strengths and weaknesses and work to establish the best learning strategies for him or her. It’s important to conduct an assessment of the individual’s skill set against the expectations of the position. Once you’ve hired and...Read More »
First came the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system. Next staff implemented an electronic query/CDI system. Finally there was a move to a full electronic health record (EHR). When Emory University Orthopedic & Spine Hospital in Tucker, Ga., decided to phase out various elements...Read More »
