ACDIS update: Listen to what folks are saying about the 2022 ACDIS Pocket Guide

Elisa Sninchak, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, education manager for clinical documentation excellence and clinical excellence, institute of safety and quality, at Novant Health, offers the following in-depth review of the 2022 ACDIS Pocket Guide.

The new ACDIS Pocket Guide is wonderful! Overall, I felt an education/educator-based approach throughout the guide. The organization of the information is very well thought-out and easy to navigate. Multiple new tools/tables added will increase the impact of the information. I have included a short review below, followed by a more detailed breakdown of information. This is similar to how I plan to share the new guide with my team.

Review details for the ACDIS Pocket Guide:

• Several new sections/tables and clinical definitions support efficient and high-level clinical reviews
• New content focuses on risk adjustment and social determinants of health and the content is forward thinking for the evolving CDI landscape
• The cardiac clinical information is more in depth and focused on provider education
• The flow of the guide is education focused and the combined resources are evident
• The attention given to providing thorough references in each section will make it easier to do more research on each topic or to provide the sources when needed

New sections/organization: The organizations of conditions by MDC is a great addition and allows the CDI specialist to organize their opportunity by clinical disease/process categories. I personally prefer the MDCs listed at the top of the pages for each condition, as it allows for me to think about the service lines, service institutes and the providers this information will impact (i.e., risk adjustment, Vizient data, etc.)

The CDI critical thinking sections better organize the specific content for the audience of the ACDIS Pocket Guide. This is in line with how I approach our education: Individual CDI specialist education, team education, and provider education/query opportunity. This section allows the CDI professional to consider and determine if there is an education opportunity, query opportunity, both or if there is a CDI professional learning opportunity.

The orange Provider Tips are also perfectly executed for the audience. The Provider Tips pull out the needed details to share with the providers after careful consideration of all the information and updates in each section.

Several new sections/tables and clinical definitions support efficient and high-level clinical reviews.

A few favorites:

• The electrolyte disorders section with the tables that include manifestations will help with reviewing for the conditions and risk adjustment/HCC capture
• Sections on acidosis and acid-base balance with lab ranges and details
• Hematoma/seroma tips
• Anticoagulants vs anti-platelet medication chart is useful; the PSI impact will be reflected (Circulating anticoagulants code tip)

New content focuses on risk adjustment and social determinants of health and the content is forward thinking for the evolving CDI landscape.

• TOAD: Transplant, osteomyelitis, amputation/aids, dialysis
• Social determinants of health tables
• Excellent idea to group the HCC with purple font to show they are part of a hierarchy (allows the CDI professional to choose the highest risk adjustment details for education/query development)

The cardiac clinical information is more in depth and focused toward education:

• A fib definitions and CHF major and minor criteria tables are excellent
• Most in-depth explanation of Stages, classes, and medications for CHF I have seen in one place
• The angina description and physiological process provided a great clinical explanation

Thank you all for a wonderful source of information for the CDI profession!