From the forum: Credentials required for CDI professionals

While ACDIS as an association holds the belief that CDI professionals come from a variety of backgrounds, each bringing unique skills and knowledge to the table and ultimately making the profession stronger, the required credentials and background for CDI professionals is always a hot topic. And, it’s one that’s been popular of late on the ACDIS Forum.

When revamping the CDI specialist job descriptions, Cathy Seluke, RN, BSN, CCDS, CDI manager at Maine General Medical Center in Augusta, received pushback from her RN CDI staff at the idea of including other, non-nursing credentials to the descriptions.

“The main issue is really clinical validation queries,” Seluke wrote in her post, which some of her staff felt required nursing experience to complete effectively.

While no official guidance excludes non-clinicians from any aspects of CDI work (including clinical validation queries), HIM/coding professionals in the CDI role often struggle to combat such perspectives.

ACDIS Advisory Board member Paul Evans, RHIA, CCDS, CCS, CCS-P, staff member of a regional CDI program located on the west coast works tirelessly in this regard, lamenting that many CDI professionals with coding and HIM backgrounds struggle to find a professional home due to the misconception that CDI is a “nursing only” career option.

“CDI is its own unique area distinct to, but drawing from, multiple disciplines,” writes ACDIS Advisory Board member Katy Good, RN, RBS, CCS, CCDS, training materials specialist at Enjoin CDI in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “Regardless of the background of the candidate, they all require education specific to the field. […] My personal feeling is that the strongest programs have both types of backgrounds as they are complementary to each other.”

“I think the success of [a CDI specialist] depends on many things and the background credential is just one of the many factors contributing to a successful CDI professional,” writes Tammy Trombley, RHIT, CDIP, CCDS, compliance manager at HCTec in Tampa, Florida. 

“CDI is a unique profession and not everyone, whether they are a nurse or a coding professional, is fit for it,” writes fellow Advisory Board member Irina Zusman, RHIA, CCS, CCDS, director of HIM, coding, and CDI initiatives at NYU Langone Health in New York City. “The most important attributes for the profession are critical thinking, excellent communication skills, and an ability to learn.”

Ultimately, CDI professionals come to the profession from a variety of backgrounds and all have something to offer and can earn CDI-specific credentials, Jeff Morris, RN, BSN, CCDS, supervisor of CDI at the University of South AL Health System in Mobile, Alabama, writes.

“I find it hard for us to move forward as a profession when those who are highly skilled and trained constantly have to defend themselves or prove their worth,” Morris writes.

Editor’s note: This article’s content was taken largely from recent posts on the ACDIS Forum. To participate in the Forum, click here. For information about how to post on the Forum and set your notifications, click here. To read the official ACDIS position paper on CDI and credentials, click here.