All Entries Tagged With: "professional"
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.
New information on CCDS certification, Code of Ethics posted
Hi everyone, we’ve recently added some new informational Web pages on the upcoming Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential. You can find them here: www.cdiassociation.com/certification. The links to the pages are located along the top of the screen. I hope you find them helpful.
I also wanted to let you know about a few new developments regarding the CCDS:
1. We’ve received a lot of questions about the location of the Assessment Centers. To find the test center nearest you, visit the Applied Measurement Professionals Web site and click on your state when the map comes up. You will be able to take the CCDS exam at these Assessment Centers starting in mid-late June (for details on how to schedule a test at an Assessment Center, please see our Program Handbook). The Assessment Centers offer computerized testing and the results are instant.
2. We had to narrow down the “standard drug reference guide” that test-takers can bring into the exam to five specific titles. Please note that in addition to DRG Expert published by Ingenix, test-takers can bring one of the following five drug guides into the test with them:
- Mosby’s Nursing Drug Reference
- Nurse’s Pocket Drug Guide
- Physicians’ Desk Reference
- PDR Nurse’s Drug Handbook
- Nursing Drug Handbook /Lippincott’s
3. Finally, we are proud to note that we have launched an ACDIS Code of Ethics. This document is intended to serve as a guide for the professional behavior of ACDIS members and nonmembers who hold the CCDS credential. ACDIS is indebted to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), who allowed us to borrow from their organizations’ own Code of Ethics to help ACDIS construct its own.
You can read the ACDIS Code of Ethics here: http://www.hcpro.com/acdis/code_of_ethics.cfm.
Thanks, and as usual, your comments and questions are appreciated,
Brian
Weekend warriors? What’s your relaxation plan?
Over the holidays we posted a poll asking who planned to continuing checking the charts through the Christmas holiday. Most CDI professionals had the holiday off. But as I’m sitting here in the local coffee shop (JACHO, who’s motto is “Live Slow”) reading poetry while my husband adds details his latest artistic sketch, I’m wondering how many of you have the chance to chill on the weekend.
Maybe you’ve got a secret hobby or favorite family pasttime too? Let me know how you spend your weekends. If you’d rather I put up a poll on this topic, let me know.
Tomorrow, we’re taking our niece into the MFA for her birthday.
See you Monday!
Breaking down sterotypes the CDI way
Those who have their eyes and ears open these days can’t help but see a shift at play. Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday, we inaugurated the 44th President of the United States—and celebrated the first African American picked for the post.
So what better time to reexamine the stereotypes that most afflict the CDI profession—the preconceived notions about the roles and responsibilities of CDI specialists. There’s been lots of talk about who makes the best CDI professional—coders or nurses, case managers or HIM professionals. Similarly, there’s plenty of discussion about how to overcome the challenges of the “difficult” physician.
ACDIS advisors have tackled some of these concerns in CDI Journal articles, ACDIS Blog posts, and CDI Strategies snippits. For instance, check out this article from the CDI Journal regarding how to bridge the gap between coders CDI programs in the January 2008 issue, or this article by Lynne Spryszak, RN, about how to work with ancillary departments at your facility, or this piece regarding the role of physician advisers.
Now is the time to take a second look at our own stereotypes and break away from preconceived notions of how we expect people to think or work or act. This shift may just open the door to new possibilities.
Continuing CDI Education: Where does it come from?
How many of you have read the Official Coding Guidelines for 2008? Anyone? Anyone??
Well, if you haven’t yet, why haven’t you? As CDI professionals I believe that it is our responsibility to make every effort to stay abreast of coding regulations and updates and how they affect our process.
The 3rd Quarter Coding Clinic updates were available earlier this month. It should be standard practice to read the updates and see if there’s something new you need to know.
How to make a CDIS
While those of us at ACDIS are already working as CDIS there are nurses and coders out there who e-mail me and ask how to become a CDIS so I thought I’d write about what I look for when I’m hiring someone. FYI, folks, opinions ahead. [more]
CDI Talk: When in Doubt, Call a Friend
If you haven’t joined in the discussions taking place on “CDI Talk” you’re missing out on a wealth of information. Some of the recent discussion topics (to name only a few) have been: query forms, BMI, querying for decubitus ulcers, POA, RACs, to name just a few.
You don’t have to be an expert to join in; in fact, questions from new Documentation Specialists are often trigger the most lively discussions! One topic from 3/26 titled “What DRG would you assign” received 25 responses! This topic was a great example of how CDIS see situations differently and the supporting arguments presented were well thought out and detailed. [more]