Conference conversations: Clarke shares pediatric physician advisor story
Editor’s note: Daxa Clarke, MD, will be presenting “Growing the physician advisor role: A Tale of Four Pediatric Physician Advisors,” on Day 2 of the ACDIS conference. Dr. Clarke is the medical director, CDI and utilization management, at Phoenix (Arizona) Children’s Hospital. This year’s conference takes place May 21-24 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Q: How can CDI programs engage a physician advisor or champion in their pediatric efforts?
A: I would try to find a physician who has the following characteristics:
- A medical specialty that places him or her in the hospital for all or most of his or her clinical time. Hospitalists and intensive care unit physicians are often physician advisors for CDI programs.
- A strong clinical background. CDI comes with some clinical gray zones, and your physician advisor can help move through those with his or her clinical experience.
- Respected by the medical staff. Your CDI physician advisor will be the liaison to your medical staff. A physician who is well known and respected will carry more weight with the medical staff.
- Good documentation skills. CDI is all about good documentation. You want your CDI champion to walk the walk as much as talk the talk.
Q: What's one thing attendees can expect to come away with from your session?
A: There is more than one way to be a successful CDI physician advisor/program. We show four programs that share some common characteristics, but also have different approaches. Each program has become successful, and each physician advisor has a different style that suits the institution within which she works.
Q: How can a pediatric physician advisor benefit CDI efforts and further the cause of CDI?
A: I think CDI is all about education. You have to give physicians the why before you ask for change. Why should they engage in the CDI process? If you can explain to them the quality/safety/financial reasons to improve documentation, then you are more likely to succeed in getting their participation.
It’s also about asking the question at the right time. Placing CDI into the normal workflow of physician documentation will help the faculty to engage in the process. We will show you an example of an innovative CDI approach during our presentation.
Q: In what ways does your session challenge CDI professionals to think outside the box?
A: Measuring the productivity of a CDI program can be done in a variety of ways. We will show you a new and innovative way to measure the value of your CDI program. Providing this type of information to the administration can more clearly show what your CDI program does for the organization.
Q: What one thing are you excited for at this year's conference?
A: I am excited about the pediatric track! As a pediatric CDI physician advisor, we face challenges that are different from our adult counterparts. I am excited to hear more about pediatric CDI this year.
Q: Fun question: What did you always want to be when you grew up?
A: I always wanted to be an astronaut. However, I was too practical to chase a dream that I thought was elusive. I found a love in medicine and chased down that dream instead! My sister, on the other hand, chased this commonly elusive dream of being an astronaut. She now works for NASA and is applying to their astronaut program. I will live this dream vicariously through her.