News: AHA says CDI survey reveals physician engagement challenges

The American Hospital Association and Executive Health Resources partnered in February 2015 to conduct a survey on CDI trends. With over 1,000 responses from CDI, coding, HIM, and other hospital professionals, the agencies presented the findings in a webinar on April 16. 

The survey covered a variety of CDI-related issues, including CDI program specifics and physician engagement. Here are some of the highlights:

• 87.9% of programs classify themselves as either growing (43.4%) or mature (44.5%). Only 5.4% say they are a new program, or in the introductory phases of CDI implementation.
• 98.5% of programs believed their physicians could improve their documentation practices.
• When asked to list the top three barriers prohibiting physicians from engaging with CDI:
  • 66.5% said a lack of understanding of the importance of documentation
  • 47% said a lack of time
  • 38% said a lack of interest
  •  5% of programs said they had no barriers with physician involvement
• 89.2% of programs say they do not have a fulltime physician champion/advisor
• 83% of physician advisors/champions spend 0-10 hours a week supporting CDI
• 84.3% of participants say real-time, patient specific conversations are the most effective education strategy to make physicians aware of how to improve documentation

Respondents came from facilities in every state, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico, and a range of hospital types and sizes, from critical access (4.3%) to 100-200 beds (16.4%) to large health systems (28.9%). The survey was completed primarily by CDI professionals (71%), but also included coders (7%), HIM professionals (8%), physicians (2%), and others (11%).

To learn more about the results, download the slides or watch a recorded version of the webinar.