Six steps to start a CDI program successfully

1. Get leadership support from the start: Show those in the C-suite (The CEO, CFO, CIO, etc.) the impact of CDI programs. Obtain cost estimates from companies who help set up CDI programs. Convey the bottom line in financial terms. Show how better documentation more accurately reflects severity of illness and the patient population, resulting in increased reimbursement and better patient care.

2. Form a planning group: Include finance, medical records, care management, quality improvement, medical staff, and nursing. Communicate with other CDI programs and peers to learn what worked best for them and what didn’t work at all.

3. Determine CDI needs: Consider a neutral third party to conduct an inpatient coding and documentation audit, evaluate current query processes, and update query policies and procedures. Based on your audit findings and industry research, determine the staffing and organizational needs of your CDI program. Ask:

• Should your program be housed under HIM or finance or case management?
• How many full time staff members will you need?
• Will your organization support the addition of a physician advisor/champion?

4. Present to leadership: Explain your proposed program specifications and budgetary needs to the facility management. Make your presentation simple and effective. Where possible, combine anecdotal information with hard data. Present your data clearly and effectively. Use Power Point presentations and graphs when possible.

5. Hire appropriately: Take your time during the hiring phase. Be selective. Do not compromise your program needs to fit the capabilities of the candidate. Involve the CDI manager, HIM, and a multidisciplinary team in the interview process. Keeping the right person means hiring the right person.

6. Earn staff member support: This can come from a physician champion as well as from your own ongoing educational efforts. Conduct presentations with groups of physicians, attend their staff meetings, and ask for their input. Similarly, build solid working relationships with nursing team members and coders to analyze queries.