A recent Office of Inspector General report found that CMS paid $41.4 million in improper payments to acute care hospitals for claims that were assigned incorrect discharge status codes.
Kellie Halsted, MSN/MHA, RN, CCDS, CCM , writes about how her experience as a hospital case manager has given her additional insight into writing clinical validation appeal letters as a CDI specialist.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of its Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements initiative on August 24. The program offers resources for hospitals to improve identification and management of sepsis.
The fiscal year (FY) 2024 IPPS final rule, released in August, provides updates on inpatient hospital reimbursement, ICD-10-CM/PCS coding and DRG changes, quality and reporting programs, and more.
With certain medical conditions, encountering differing opinions and discrepancies in provider documentation is inevitable. Deanne Wilk, MPS, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CDIP, CCS , reviews 10 diagnoses whose documentation commonly features discrepancies.
As the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended, audits are likely to pick up steam. To prepare for this increase in audit activity, it’s essential for providers and coders to examine both current and upcoming trends.
Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA/CGMA, FACHE, FHFMA, CHPS, describes how coding reviews provide an opportunity to conduct a thorough compliance review that not only addresses components of the coding process, but also the integrity of the patient’s record. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Key performance indicators are used by organizations to monitor the progress of CDI initiatives. Waldo Herrera, MD, MBA, MSc, FACP, SFHM, CHCQM-PHYADV , describes performance metrics that professionals at his facility use to track revenue cycle performance and opportunities for improvement.
What may be considered a simple task, such as confirming present on admission status, can be complicated by discrepancies between coding and quality reporting criteria. Kate Siemens, RN, CMSRN, CCDS , outlines the ways in which coding and quality metrics do not align.
The gap between clinical reality and coding terminology can be addressed by empowering coders to use clinical judgment. Merle Zuel, RN, CCDS , discusses when it is appropriate for coders to interpret provider documentation and use their clinical judgment to code it in a certain way.
CMS proposes 395 new, 12 revised, and 25 invalidated codes for implementation in October, according to the 2024 IPPS proposed rule. Read up on the changes which, if finalized, will have an impact on reimbursement and documentation.
CMS’ quality measures rank hospital mortality data as better than, no different than, or worse than the national mortality rate. JoAnne Mullins, DNP, MSN, RN, CCDS , describes how to perform quality reviews targeting missed coding opportunities and other factors that influence mortality data.
Jorde Spitler, RN, CDI manager at Dayton Children’s Hospital, describes key considerations for documentation review, querying, and ICD-10-CM coding in a pediatric acute care setting.
Laura Roberts, BSN, RN, CCDS , describes how to perform internal reviews that target Patient Safety Indicators, hospital-acquired conditions, and other quality indicators.
Stacy Reck, MBA, RHIA, CDIP , and Ashley Wells, MN, RN, CMSRN, CCDS , describe common reasons for clinical validity denials and strategies they use to defend against them. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Healthcare professionals often struggle to define the role of CDI in their organization. Marlene Goodwin-Esola, MSN, RN-C, CV , clarifies the role of CDI specialists and professionals in related disciplines who contribute to documentation improvement efforts.
Clinical quality measures are tools used by healthcare professionals to measure or quantify processes and outcomes. Audrey Howard, RHIA, and Susan Belley, RHIA, CPHQ, describe documentation elements that affect quality metrics and how to incorporate them into an audit workflow.
Quality metrics are complex, and it takes deep knowledge to understand their intricacies. Audrey Howard, RHIA, and Susan Belley, RHIA, CPHQ , describe commonly overlooked documentation elements that can affect quality metrics and outline how to incorporate these elements into an audit workflow.
Lena Wilson, MHI, RHIA, CCS, CCDS , takes a deep dive into the CDI/coding reconciliation process and outlines tips that coders and CDI professionals can apply to improve this process.
Respiratory failure occurs when the body is unable to provide oxygen to or remove carbon dioxide from the body. Alba Kuqi, MD, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, CRCR, CICA, CSCM , breaks down documentation and ICD-10-CM coding for acute and chronic respiratory failure.
