Note from the ACDIS Editor: CDI Journal focuses on technological changes

By Linnea Archibald

Often, it feels like technology changes over night. Just when you master one element, it’s out of date and a new solution is coming down the pike. The March/April edition of the CDI Journal seeks to ease some of the consternation caused by technology’s evolution and the changes in workflow required to handle it.

Within this edition, readers will learn about the common pitfalls of electronic health records (EHR) and how CDI can help improve the situation, best practices for working with computer-assisted coding/natural language processing, and how to build a DIY outpatient tracking solution.

This edition of the Journal also includes advice and insight from industry experts such as Trey La Charité, MD, FACP, SFHM, CCS, CCDS, on congestive heart failure clinical validation, Jill Dressler, RN, BSN, CCDS, and Sandy Frey, RHIT, CCS, on CDI auditing, Angela Maxfield, RN, CCDS, on travel consulting, Niki Baca, BS, BSN, RN, CCDS, and Sydni Johnson, RN, BSN, on remote CDI, Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, on how a ICD-10 code is born, and Stephen Houlahan, RN, MSN, MBA, CCDS, on CDI implications of trans-aortic valve replacements.

Of course, this edition also includes some of our usual staples: Associate Editorial Director Melissa Varnavas discusses the history of query practice advice in light of the new ACDIS/AHIMA “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice,” Advisory Board member Angie Curry, RN, BSN, CCDS, shares tips for vendor selection, CDI Education Director Laurie Prescott, RN, MSN, CCDS, CDIP, CRC, answers questions about sepsis sequencing, and ACDIS member Lourdes Albino Cacanindin, MD, CCDS,  shares her CDI story and advice.

The ACDIS team hopes you enjoy this latest edition and find some helpful information to advance your CDI practices inside. The May/June edition will focus on physician engagement and education, so if you’d like to contribute, wish to share your physician engagement story, or suggest an article idea, please feel free to email me.

Editor’s note: Archibald is the editor for ACDIS. Contact her at larchibald@acdis.org.