MSHIMA | Assessing the Performance of Your Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Program: Discover the Real Impact on Your Bottom Line

Clinical Documentation Integrity Programs have become ingrained in most hospitals and health systems, designed, and intended to improve reimbursement through the physician query process. Physician queries are the hallmark and fundamentals of the CDI profession, becoming more predominant as CDI programs deploy advanced CDI software utilizing some form of Artificial Intelligence. Key Performance Indicators that are currently used to measure performance of CDI programs incorporate task-based CDI activities versus role-based approaches to physician documentation improvement/integrity. By focusing upon reimbursement-based outcomes versus true physician documentation process improvement, measurable meaningful sustainable physician documentation is not being achieved. In many instances, CDI programs are generating and contributing to costly self-inflicted payer denials. Assessing the real performance of a CDI program using a “Role Based” approach to CDI is instrumental in evaluating the “Real” Return on Investment of any CDI program. This is the first step in identifying transformative processes CDI must embrace and incorporate into current CDI operatives to drive sustainable integrity in physician documentation in support of net patient revenue less prone to denials and costly financial takebacks.

Objectives:

• Learn and Determine whether Current CDI Programs are Revenue Generators or Cost Centers
• Construct a Checkoff Tool to Evaluate your CDI Program- A Framework for Measuring Real Performance
• Plan and Develop a Mission and Vision of CDI- Aligning with the Revenue Cycle
• Understand, Define, and Apply the ‘4Rs” for CDI Transformation & Redirection
• Change and Transform  the Landscape of CDI Programs-A “Team Based Approach”
• Evaluate and Compare Physician Documentation Software vs. CDI Software- Making the Right Choice