Why? Because documentation found in health records
is crucial as evidence of services provided and the
quality of those services.
Why? Because third-party payers (yup, that
includes Medicare) are looking at documentation
more closely to make sure it supports information
on a patient's claim, including:
severity and acuity of a patient's illness
the patient's risk of death or mortality
clinical data details necessary for diagnostic and procedure
coding, research, patient safety, and quality scorecards
Seven CDI Goals (AHIMA CDI Toolkit)
Improve coders' clinical knowledge
Promote health record completion during the patient's course of care
Identify and clarify missing, conflicting, or nonspecific physician documentation related to diagnoses and procedures
Improve communication between physicians and other members of the healthcare team
Support accurate diagnostic and procedural coding, DRG assignment, severity of illness, and expected risk of mortality, leading to appropriate reimbursement
Provide education
Improve documentation to reflect quality and outcome scores