Note from the instructor: Lean on your peers for education

By Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS

Last week, I was working remotely at home and decided to take a break from working on PowerPoint presentations and catch up on some of the reading I’d put off during the holidays.

I listened to a webinar about the 2018 changes to Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and read two articles about CMS’ changes related to total knee replacements. As I was self-educating, I started thinking about the people who don’t have the luxury of devoting a whole day to research.

When I started as a CDI specialist, I had to do a lot of self-education. Luckily, the organization I worked for allowed us to spend time on research or reading on Fridays. With all the changes that have taken place over the last few years—switching to ICD-10, Coding Clinic publications paging in at over 35-40 pages long, extremely long final rules, to name a few—I honestly don’t know how anyone keeps up.

Here are a few tips for staying on top of industry news, even when you’re busy.

First, divide and conquer. Assign areas of responsibility for each staff member and have them educate all the other staff members about it. For example, one staff member could research the changes made to hospital value-based purchasing program. If one person researches the changes for 2018, others can spend their time focused on other topics, such as Coding Clinic.

I am also an advocate of taking advantage of free resources. That said, being a member of a professional organization can have huge benefits. For one thing, you’ll have access to articles written by respected colleagues where they’ve done the research for you, ready and waiting for your reading pleasure.

Professional associations also tend to have a forum where, in the blink of an eye, you could get advice from around the country on an issue you’re experiencing. This could potentially cut down on the heavy-lifting, personal time, and resources required to answer your questions on your own. (If you’re an ACDIS member, read how to use the ACDIS Forums here.)

Other departments within your facility can also be a help when it comes to education. Whether it’s the coding, nursing, or dietary department, each does some type of employee education throughout the year. Arrange to have a CDI presence at these meetings (and others) and invite them to your CDI educational sessions, too.

One of the most frustrating things I’ve experienced in both my nursing and CDI careers has been when a colleague returns from a conference or class and doesn’t share the knowledge they gained with the team. If a member of the team is able to attend an outside class and the facility pays for the training, he or she should be expected to provide some sort of presentation on the information they gleaned.

For example, if not everyone on your team gets to attend the annual ACDIS conference, think about it ahead of time and decide what sessions to attend and how to best capture and disseminate that information to the rest of the team.

Since not everyone has the luxury of a full day for education and research, CDI professionals need to lean on each other’s knowledge and educational opportunities. 

Editor’s Note: Brodie is a CDI education specialist and CDI Boot Camp instructor for HCPro in Middleton, Massachusetts. For information, contact her at sbrodie@hcpro.com. For information regarding CDI Boot Camps offered by HCPro, visit www.hcprobootcamps.com/courses/10040/overview.