ACDIS update: Regulatory Committee publishes sepsis definitions paper

Sepsis is a common clinical finding in patients admitted to the hospital. Documenting the presence of sepsis is critical to best determine each individual patient’s needs for care. However, clinicians often vary in their definitions of sepsis or fail to note the presence of sepsis in the medical record when the clinical indicators support such assessment.

These variances in how clinicians view sepsis have led to difficulties for CDI specialists, especially when third-party payers and quality programs adhere to different definition sets for sepsis as well. To demonstrate consistency in reporting, coding, and clinical care, healthcare facilities must develop a consistent approach to the definitions of sepsis as a reference for teaching, quality measurement, clinical care, and coding purposes.

In an attempt to bring some clarity to the present situation, the ACDIS Regulatory Committee released a paper last week which provides a timeline of the various sepsis definitions and their implications for CDI and coding. Additionally, the paper includes a list of policy recommendations from the Committee. Click here to download the paper.