In addition, discussions about education continued. My fellow passengers wondered what kind of ICD-10 education a clinical documentation improvement specialist (CDIS) needs. Is the knowledge of documentation or coding alone enough, or is a combination of both necessary? As a liaison between physicians and coders, my recommendation is that the CDIS needs extensive documentation education to drive (no pun intended) optimal documentation and to identify gaps and risks.
On the other side of things, I believe that these specialists need at least a foundational coding education in ICD-10 to understand the basic rules and guidelines coders must follow. Since most CDI Specialists are nurses and may have limited coding experience, this level understanding is critical. A new trend I am seeing with some of our clients is that they are having their CDI specialists participate in all of the documentation education and all of the coding education so they can become experts in both disciplines. Many of our clients are reporting a much-improved communication stream between their CDIS personnel and coders, as the CDIS is becoming not just a clinical advocate, but a coding advocate as well.
When I finally arrived at the convention center after countless thoughts of tucking and rolling out of a moving bus, these conversations continued. This HIMSS was my favorite yet. I felt that the discussions leading up to the ICD-10 implementation date have been meaningful, and now I am finally seeing some outcomes – and, believe it or not, positivity.
I am looking forward to seeing what next year brings, other than the assurance that I will be taking a cab to and from the convention center.
About the Author
Thomas Ormondroyd, BS, MBA, is vice president and general manager of Precyse Learning Solutions. Heoversees Precyse University (www.precyseuniversity.com), an online learning system and program built to deliver education to prepare healthcare professionals for the challenges of today and tomorrow.
To comment on this article please go to