Note from the Associate Editorial Director: Brush up on basics in fall CDI Journal

by Linnea Archibald

I’ve written before about how I loved being a student all through my educational years, and I think many of you reading this article are in the same boat with me. That’s one of the things that attracts professionals to the CDI industry: There’s always something to learn. Whether it’s updates contained in annual rulemaking from the governing bodies (remember, those IPPS changes take effect October 1!), updated clinical criteria, a new technology platform, or something else entirely, there is always something to learn in CDI. It makes this line of work occasionally frustrating—when will we ever know it all?—but also exciting.

Though there are a million and one “new” CDI topics you could spend hours and days researching and learning about, the routine (and sometimes mundane) “basics” continue to be a focus for ongoing education to ensure they stay top of mind. Just like fall’s steady arrival every year, CDI education has a rhythm. Honoring the annual recurring seasons, we’ve opted to devote the September/October edition of the CDI Journal to basics in CDI. So, grab your newly sharpened pencils and your empty composition notebooks and let’s jump in.

In this edition’s pages, readers will learn about:

• Stepping into new CDI positions
• Taking care of oneself during busy seasons
• Developing documentation standards for CDI
• The utility of the coding conventions for record reviews
• Educational efforts on clinical and regulatory updates
• Leveraging queries, education efforts, and collaboration between CDI, coding, and case management as part of the denials management process
• Technology-integrated solutions in CDI
• Teaching medical students clinical documentation skills

Additionally, while we normally close out each edition with an ACDIS “Meet a Member” feature, we changed it up this edition in light of CDI Week’s impending arrival in September. CDI Week 2024 will take place September 16–20, and in the last article of the edition, ACDIS Editor Jess Fluegel provides a sneak peek at some of the Industry Survey data covering provider engagement, denials management, and query trends. You don’t want to miss all the out-of-this-world fun.

If this edition inspires you to submit your own CDI articles for the Journal, we’d love to hear from you! Our next edition (November/December) will focus on risk adjustment and quality. Article submissions and pitches can be sent to Jess Fluegel at jess.fluegel@hcpro.com and me at linnea.archibald@hcpro.com. The deadline for submissions is October 1.

In the meantime, we hope that this edition helps you prepare to go back to school this fall. As always, we’re here to help you on your educational journey!

Editor’s note: Archibald is the associate editorial director, publications and membership, for ACDIS. Contact her at linnea.archibald@hcpro.com.