Coders and clinicians seem to speak different languages. CDI specialists often serve as the translators between clinicians and coders, so it's important that all three groups work together.
Both coders and CDI specialists can query physicians when documentation:
A new bill introduced in the House and Senate includes a small, rather buried section that would delay implementation of ICD-10 for another year, to Oct. 1, 2015.
The main focus of the bill is a fix to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR),...Read More »
The road to ICD-10 has been a long one, and we still have many miles ahead of us. Organizations have invested a significant amount of time and money into this venture, and even though October 1 is rapidly approaching, there’s still work to be done before and after implementation.
Q:We recently had a case where the patient was admitted for “sepsis secondary to a urinary infection (UTI) with chronic Foley.” I am wondering if there is a AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM tosupport coding this case to 996.64, Infection and...Read More »
As some of you may know, ACDIS is working on a CDI staff training manual. The book (due to publish prior to the 2014 conference) will help program managers train their new staff on CDI basics.
But what should those individuals who are thinking about making the leap from either the nursing...Read More »
Q: An intoxicated patient comes into the emergency department with a history of alcoholism and the physician prescribes precautions for withdrawal and documents “tremors.” Can we assume that the physician means “delerium tremors” or “DTs”?
Q: I’ve been confused recently regarding coding from the pathology or radiology reports for specificity. It seems that in recent years, (I’ve been coding for 25years) a new interpretation of the coding guidelines has come about. I was taught that as long as a physician with direct...Read More »
We all have those tough days to be sure. Some days are tougher than others. But when a physician writes, “Duh! It’s a no brainer!” in response to a query you’ve just asked, it can be a little tough to take. Thankfully, CDI professionals have a committed network of their peers by way of the ...Read More »
