Conference Update: Getting CDI involved in critical access hospitals

There’s less than a month left to receive the early bird rate ($805 member, $905 non-member) for the . Don’t miss your chance to save! To view the conference brochure and agenda, click here.

As the countdown continues, we spoke with Debbie Mackaman, RHIA, CPCO, CCDS, regulatory specialist at HCPro in Danvers, Massachusetts, who will present, “Outside of the Box: CDI Programs in Critical Access Hospitals.”

Q: Why is it important for CDI professionals to get involved in the critical access hospital (CAH) setting?

A: A CDI professional in a CAH setting has to be able to expand their traditional skill set and wear many hats. Since a CAH is not paid under the MS-DRG for its inpatients, improving documentation takes on a new twist. It is not unusual for a CDI program in a CAH to expand into those outpatient areas with a regulatory focus. A CDI professional can be instrumental in not only improving documentation in the inpatient area to affect quality patient care but also in the ER and observation areas as a part of the transition from outpatient to inpatient status.

Q: How is your topic important for everyone regardless of professional background?

A: Thinking outside of the box in the CDI arena shows the value and versatility of the CDI professional. Some of the ideas that will be addressed during the session are not just for CAH CDI staff but could be used by all hospitals. The only true difference between a CAH and other hospitals is the payment methodology—cost versus pay-per-service. Adding value to a CDI program by thinking outside of the box should be a common theme for all hospitals. As a past compliance officer and current regulatory specialist, a broad range of staff need to understand the regulations that drive appropriate billing and payment. CDI staff can play a key role in guiding any hospital’s compliance efforts.

Q: As an RHIA, how does your perspective differ from other professionals performing the CDI role?

A: My HIM background provides the perspective of how the EHR elements and requirements all fit together. Solid documentation has always been a foundational element of the HIM profession. It is the documentation which helps to promote quality patient care and accurate coding, to support medical necessity of the services provided, and also to meet the various government regulations that all hospitals must abide by. HIM professionals have historically been liaisons across many department lines and have been instrumental in maintaining good working relationships with the medical staff. The HIM and CDI professions are intertwined—both are working towards the same goal just at different times in the course of care. We can learn a lot from each other by teaming up and sharing our expertise.

Q: What do you think is the most important quality for a CDI professional to have?

A: The ability to “speak the language” of the many different staff and healthcare professionals that CDI programs affect. Being “bilingual” in this way adds credibility to the CDI profession and increases job satisfaction.

Q: Why do you think attending the ACDIS conference is important?

A: Networking, sharing new ideas and solving old problems, growth personally and professionally.