Guest Post: Coders deserve ‘superhero’ kudos

by Sylvia Hoffman, RN

Hidden deep within the HIM office hides the coders’ universe. These hard working individuals put in long hours at small cubicles, staring at multiple computer screens. They are the unsung heroes of the hospital. This group of individuals would probably shun any fancy accolades, tell you they are simply doing their job, but this is an understatement.

The coder is a type of superhero, bestowed with powers beyond that of a mere mortal. Physicians frequently use abbreviations that boggle the mind. Web sites abound with dictionaries for approved abbreviations, but low and behold the physician will always come up with something new. GLM, for example, sometimes refers to a patients’ good looking mother. ARBF means awaiting return of bowel function. The list goes on and on, but curiously the coders know what the collection of symbols stand for.

Coders also decipher the worst handwriting in the universe and make sense out of the senseless. They memorize physician signatures and read words where others only see squiggles. Coders know the DRG number of most illnesses.

Hospital reimbursement would come to a standstill were it not for the coders, making them more powerful than a locomotive. The “super coder” can read through a chart faster than a speeding bullet. They may not be able to leap tall buildings, but they sure can find the principle diagnoses in a single bound.

The Clinical Documentation Improvement department is still fairly new to the hospital scene and the profession has gone through many changes even within that period of time. Coders have been an integral component throughout this transition and it is clear that these modest groups of individuals are SUPER!

Editor's note: Hoffman, at the time of this article's release, was a CDIS in Tampa Florida. She has been a nurse for more than 20 years and enjoys writing, painting, and travelling.