Download the May/June edition of the Journal

FEATURES
p. 7 Remote CDI: Could your program work at home?
CDI specialists working remotely weigh the pros and cons of leaving office life behind.

p. 10 Critical components: CDI moves into CAH
Critical access hospitals (CAH) serve the healthcare needs of the country’s most vulnerable rural populations. Many CAHs find that CDI efforts help with a variety of focus areas, many of which overlap with traditional short-term acute care facilities.

p. 16 Engaging physicians: Lessons from pediatrics
Regular education sessions, one-on-one training, and easy-to-read tip cards top the list of physician engagement tools employed by the CDI staff at Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. Read more about their program in this edition of CDI Journal.

p. 20 Clinical validation and CDI role in audit defense
CMS contractors perform not only DRG reviews but clinical validation as well. So, the CDI specialist needs to make sure the diagnosis that gets coded Is backed up by clinical indicators and thorough documentation.

DEPARTMENTS
p. 3 Associate director’s note
How have CDI practices evolved? Throughout this edition of CDI Journal, we offer insight into where CDI started and where it’s headed.

p. 4 Note from the Advisory Board
Walter Houlihan says that coders and CDI professionals need to respect each other’s skill set and overall contribution to healthcare—as well as what each group brings to the individual patient.

p. 5 In the news
The Sustainable Growth Rate “fix” means ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation moves one step closer. Even greater emphasis is placed on quality-related payment plans.

p.14 Clinical corner
James S. Kennedy offers a quick look at several documentation improvement opportunities in the pediatric setting.

p.18 Physician advisor’s corner
Paul Simmons, MD, offers tips for improving documentation for altered mental status while keeping physicians engaged in CDI efforts.

p. 24 Ask ACDIS
CDI Boot Camp Instructor Laurie Prescott discusses the line between coding and CDI.

p. 26 Meet a member
Brenda A. Harris, RN, CCDS, CCA, has had a 12-year career as a CDI specialist with Carolinas HealthCare Systems: Carolinas Medical Center University; she’s also spent nearly half a dozen years growing the North Carolina ACDIS chapter.

p. 27 Coding Clinic for CDI
CDI Boot Camp Instructor Sharme Brodie discusses the latest advice from Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM/PCS.