Note from the Instructor: CDI hits the mainstream

By Laurie L. Prescott, RN, MSN, CCDS, CDIP, CRC

I watch way too much television. Usually, I’m sitting with the television on and reading, surfing the net, shopping, and when something catches my ear, I focus on the screen. My husband often chooses a channel that provides political views he knows I will disagree with, just to see how long it takes me to yell out some comments that should likely never be repeated. He does this with medical shows as well, just to hear me say things like:

“That is NOT a shockable rhythm!”

“You cannot REVERSE brain death!”

“A nurse would NEVER say that!”

“An orthopedic surgeon would NOT evacuate a subdural hematoma…”

Well, the other night he tuned into a medical show and a secondary plot line was related to the ED and the fact that the hospital was “hemorrhaging money.” The ED director began a program to improve the documentation of procedures within the ED to ensure proper charge capture. The staff were making very passive aggressive comments about this process to improve documentation. One physician stated that his procedural notes rivaled Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The show ended very dramatically with the administrator asking the question, “Did we ask you to document anything you didn’t do? We’re merely asking you to take credit for the work you have done. We wish to ensure this ED remains a resource for this community and we need your help.”

My husband turned to me and asked, “Is that what you do?”

I’m sure next week this show will not continue the story of documentation improvement—it isn’t hot and sexy like seeing someone drill burr holes in-flight, using only supplies found in the flight attendant’s food cart or an experimental procedure to save a man’s life involving a hamster and a pineapple. But, it did catch my attention and, considering my husband’s question, perhaps we as professionals are not doing a very good job describing what we do and why we’re so important.

I challenge you to begin sharing the story of what you as a CDI professional do and why it’s so important. Talk to anyone who will listen—your family, the person next you on the train, your neighbors, and of course all those who see you every day pouring over records at the hospital. Offer hospital staff a chance to shadow you, bring your story to staff meetings and let ancillary staff understand how they can assist you in your efforts. Develop that 60-second elevator speech to pitch to the doctor you meet in the stairwell. Ensure you can explain your purpose and the affect you provide to your organization and, more widely, your community.

Editor’s note: Prescott is the CDI Education Director at HCPro in Middleton, Massachusetts. Contact her at lprescott@hcpro.com. For information regarding CDI Boot Camps, visit www.hcprobootcamps.com/courses/10040/overview.