Connolly Healthcare, CMS’ recovery audit contractor (RAC) for Region C, announced its first targets for complex review with a list of 24-DRGs in December 2009. A few weeks later it added 15 more DRGs to its list.
Connolly’s list was the first published, so it provided a good preview
Those working in CDI and quality improvement (QI)/ core measure review may have to rethink the old adage of playing separate roles. As Shakespeare writes in As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage … and all are merely players. … One man in his time plays many parts.”
Q: What quality-/core measure–focused training materials do you recommend for CDI specialists?
A: Some training materials may be at your disposal already and you may not be aware of them. Check with your Quality Improvement Organization.Read More »
In 1994, the Indiana Heart Institute decided to implement a dedicated cardiovascular quality data abstraction team. In 1996, the hospital expanded the team’s duties to include CDI responsibilities. This revised team obtained the information necessary for coding, as well as all the information...Read More »
In 2009, HCPro's Revenue Cycle Institute conducted an in-depth study on recovery audit contractor (RAC) preparedness among healthcare providers. It garnered 717 responses from all four RAC jurisdictions. Respondents hailed from healthcare providers of various sizes: 25% came from hospitals with...Read More »
Septicemia has been problematic for some time. Coders often misunderstand the ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting as it pertains to the sequencing of the assigned codes, says Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CCDS, director of HIM
Colleagues, as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation progresses, the quality and outcomes of care face increasing public scrutiny. Policymakers will determine our complication rates and publicize them on the Internet,...Read More »
by Glenn Krauss, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, C-CDI, CCDS
As CDI specialists, we find ourselves trying to keep the attention of our physician audience. The ability to positively engage the physician depends on continually illuminating the direct correlation between accurate and...Read More »
