Take advantage of opportunities for personal growth
A clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists’ focuses on educating physicians on the
Take advantage of educational opportunities where ever you find them.
merits and material benefits of complete, accurate, and effective medical record documentation on the practice of medicine. The CDI specialists’ goal is to affect positive change in physician’s documentation. CDI specialists also help the physician understand and appreciate his/her role in clinical documentation as a proactive and defensive strategy to meet the tough business economic climate challenge of healthcare.
In order to affect positive change and be successful in the role of CDI, the specialist need to view the duties and responsibilities inherent to the position through the eyes of a businessperson. Just as physicians are business people who happen to choose medicine as their line of business, CDI specialists’ are business people who happen to choose documentation improvement as their line of business.
As a businessperson, the CDI specialists has the responsibility of expanding and continually building upon his/her business skills through personal investment in tools and education as a strategy in becoming more proficient and effective in the business of CDI. It is incumbent upon the CDI specialist to maintain relevancy in clinical medicine through reading of the medical literature such as JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, subscribing to Journal Watch publications, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and other daily newsletters.
Other considerations include subscribing to the Harvard Business Review or Influence without Authority, and investing the time to refresh skills in negotiation and communication through coursework at a local college or adult education class.
A successful and competent CDI specialist will recognize the need for continual education beyond learning the basic CDI crash course taught and promoted by many consulting companies. The likelihood of success of a CDI program rests primarily on the CDI specialist, recognizing the value and worth of proficient business skills as a foundation for the delivery of physician clinical documentation education of long lasting benefit and use to both the institution and the physician.
Quite frankly, there is more to CDI than leaving clinical queries on the record in hopes of the physician answering the query. A CDI specialist can control his/her own destiny through development and honing of business, communication, and negotiation skills.
Let the opportunities begin.
About the Author: Glenn Krauss, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPUR, C-CDI, CCDS, is an independent consultant based in Madison, WI.
Laurie Prescott, RN, MSN | Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
I very much agree with this. As a new employee in my organization I did not have a pre-existing relationship with the medical staff. They did not know me or my background. I found I first had to earn respect to get them to listen and learn from me. I had to show them I possessed clinical knowledge and understanding of their everyday challenges. Since much interaction is face to face often discussions concerning healthcare reform, politics, current events, personal lives (children, pets) etc would be the lead in to start to discuss a specific patient or pending query.
With particuraly resistant physicians I learned what their hobbies were, their special interests in medicine, where they were trained etc. This information would open a door that I could then stick my foot into.
We teach in nursing that learning is a life long endeavor and we all need to expand our horizens. Everything formt he local news to the latest research is useful and expands our horizens.
Margi Brown | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
Nice article Glenn! I agree also. One indicator of success (for all involved) is when the physician views the CDI Specialist as a “resource” and may actually seek you out while in the hospital. One helpful suggestion is to practice a few very brief introductions (or “elevator” speeches on CDI, lasting just a few minutes) to get the initial attention, then to maintain communication on an ongoing basis, in whatever works such as the great discussion points also included.