CDIP Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner Questions and Answers

The ultimate purpose of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) expansion and growth is to show a direct relationship between clinical documentation and quality patient care. According to the web search results, CDI programs aim to improve the quality and efficiency of clinical documentation by ensuring that it is accurate, complete, and consistent. This in turn leads to better health care data, which is vital for capturing the appropriate indicators used for health care facility and provider profiling, reimbursement, risk adjustment, and quality scores12. CDI programs also focus on patient safety, by identifying and resolving any documentation omissions, discrepancies, or adverse events that may affect the patient’s outcome or care3. Therefore, CDI programs demonstrate how clinical documentation can impact the quality of patient care and the performance of health care organizations.

According to the AHIMA/ACDIS Query Practice Brief, one of the best practices for a compliant query process is to provide ongoing education to physicians on the importance of documentation integrity, the query process, and the impact of documentation on quality measures, reimbursement, and compliance1. Education can help physicians understand the rationale and expectations for responding to queries, as well as the benefits of accurate and complete documentation for patient care and data quality. Education can also address any barriers or challenges that physicians may face in responding to queries, such as time constraints, technology issues, or workflow preferences1. References:

• AHIMA/ACDIS Query Practice Brief – Updated 12/2022
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA

 A policy and procedure that should be developed to ensure compliant practice for CDIPs who are altering health records is professional ethical standards. Professional ethical standards are the principles and values that guide the conduct and decision-making of CDIPs in their role of ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of clinical documentation and coded data. According to the AHIMA Standards of Ethical Coding1 and the ACDIS Code of Ethics2, CDIPs should not alter health records without the consent or direction of the provider, as this may compromise the quality and validity of the documentation and coding, and may violate legal and regulatory requirements. CDIPs should also respect the confidentiality and security of health records, and report any unethical or fraudulent practices to the appropriate authority.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• AHIMA Standards of Ethical Coding1
• ACDIS Code of Ethics2

The term used when a patient is entered in the MPI multiple times, in different ways, resulting in multiple medical record numbers is overlap. An overlap occurs when a person has more than one medical record number within an integrated delivery network or enterprise, and may cause problems such as incomplete or inaccurate patient information, duplicate testing or treatment, billing errors, or patient safety issues. An overlap may be caused by data entry errors, system conversions, mergers or acquisitions, or lack of standardization. Regular audits of the MPI database must be done to identify and resolve any overlaps and ensure data quality and integrity.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• Master patient index - Clinfowiki1

A noncompliant query includes querying the provider regarding gram-negative pneumonia on every pneumonia case, regardless of documented clinical indicators because it may lead to over-specification of a diagnosis that is not supported by the health record. A compliant query should be based on the clinical evidence and documentation in the record, and should not suggest or imply a diagnosis that is not clinically relevant or plausible. A query should also not be driven by reimbursement or coding factors, but by the need to improve the quality and accuracy of documentation. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update)3

The proper sequencing of the principal and secondary diagnoses in this case is as follows:

• Principal diagnosis: Acute appendicitis. This is the condition, after study, that occasioned the admission to the hospital, according to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting. The patient was admitted for laparoscopic surgery, which is a definitive treatment for acute appendicitis. The physician documented “possible acute appendicitis or probable Meckel diverticulitis” as the cause of the right lower quadrant abdominal pain. According to the AHA’s Coding Clinic, Fourth Quarter 2016, pp. 147-148, when a physician documents two diagnoses connected by “or”, coders should query the physician for clarification if possible. However, if a query is not possible or not answered, coders should assign codes for both conditions, unless one of them has been ruled out or confirmed by further testing or treatment. In this case, there is no indication that either acute appendicitis or Meckel diverticulitis has been ruled out or confirmed by further testing or treatment. Therefore, both conditions should be coded and reported. However, only one of them can be the principal diagnosis. Since acute appendicitis is more commonly associated with laparoscopic surgery than Meckel diverticulitis, and since it has a higher relative weight than Meckel diverticulitis under the MS-DRG system, it is reasonable to select acute appendicitis as the principal diagnosis 23.
• Secondary diagnosis: Right lower quadrant abdominal pain. This is a sign or symptom that is associated with the principal diagnosis and requires clinical evaluation, therapeutic treatment, diagnostic procedures, extended length of hospital stay, or increased nursing care and/or monitoring. The patient presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain as a manifestation of acute appendicitis or Meckel diverticulitis. The pain required clinical evaluation by abdominal ultrasound and therapeutic treatment by laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, it should be coded and reported as a secondary diagnosis 4.
• Secondary diagnosis: Type I diabetes mellitus. This is a chronic condition that affects the patient’s care in terms of requiring diagnostic or therapeutic services or affecting patient outcomes or resource utilization. The patient has a history of type I diabetes mellitus and received an injection of neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin to normalize the blood sugar level prior to surgery. Therefore, it should be coded and reported as a secondary diagnosis 4.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 2: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2021, Section II.A 3: AHA Coding Clinic for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, Fourth Quarter 2016 4: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2021, Section III.C : AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077

A leading query is one that suggests a specific diagnosis, condition, or treatment to the provider, or implies that a certain response is desired or expected. A leading query can compromise the integrity and accuracy of the documentation and the coded data, and may also raise compliance and ethical issues. A query should be non-leading, meaning that it presents the facts from the health record without bias or influence, and allows the provider to use their clinical judgment to determine the appropriate response.

The query in the question is leading because it implies that the patient’s CHF is systolic by asking a yes/no question that only offers one option. A non-leading query would ask an open-ended question that offers multiple options, such as “What type of CHF does this patient have?” or “Please specify the type of CHF: systolic, diastolic, or combined.”

References:

• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, 2021 Edition. AHIMA Press. ISBN: 9781584268530
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice—2022 Update | ACDIS
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA
• The Provider Query Toolkit: A Guide to Compliant Practices

When queries are part of the health record, which is recommended by AHIMA and ACDIS, physicians are responsible for responding to queries in a timely manner and ensuring that their documentation is complete and accurate. If a provider receives too many deficiencies due to incomplete records for failure to respond to queries, their admitting privilege could be suspended by the medical staff committee as a disciplinary action.

References: AHIMA/ACDIS. “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update).” Journal of AHIMA 90, no. 2 (February 2019): 20-29.

The correct diagnostic related group (DRG) assignment for this case is 469 Major Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity with MCC. This is because the principal diagnosis is primary osteoarthritis of right hip status post uncomplicated total hip replacement, which belongs to the Major Diagnostic Category (MDC) 08 Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue. The DRG 469 is assigned to cases with this MDC and a surgical procedure code for major joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity. The secondary diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia due to choking on liquid episode qualifies as a major complication or comorbidity (MCC), which increases the relative weight and payment for the DRG. The MCC is determined by applying the Medicare Code Editor (MCE) software, which checks the validity and compatibility of the diagnosis codes and assigns them to different severity levels based on the CMS Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) definitions manual 2.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual, Version 38.0, p. 8-9 4

The reference resource that should be used to obtain information about the signs and symptoms that are inherent to asthma is The Merck Manual. This is a comprehensive medical reference that covers various topics related to diseases, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The Merck Manual provides a detailed description of asthma, including its causes, risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and complications. According to The Merck Manual, the signs and symptoms that are inherent to asthma are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and dyspnea (shortness of breath) 2. These symptoms are caused by the reversible bronchoconstriction and inflammation of the airways that characterize asthma. The Merck Manual also explains how these symptoms can be triggered or exacerbated by various factors, such as allergens, infections, exercise, cold air, stress, or medications 2.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: Asthma - Pulmonary Disorders - Merck Manuals Professional Edition 4

Administration should respond to this situation by reviewing the record to determine any potential data integrity impact and/or rebilling implications. According to the AHIMA Practice Brief on Managing an Effective Query Process, post-bill queries are generally initiated as a result of an audit or other internal monitor, and healthcare entities can develop a policy regarding whether they will generate post-bill queries and the timeframe following claims generation that queries may be initiated. The practice brief also states that healthcare entities should consider the following three concepts in the development of a post-bill (including query) policy: applying normal course of business guidelines, using payer-specific rules on rebilling timeframes, and determining reliability of query response over time 2. Therefore, administration should review the record to see if the physician’s response to the query affects the quality of care, patient safety, severity of illness, risk of mortality, or reimbursement, and if so, whether it is appropriate and feasible to rebill the account based on the payer’s rules and the normal course of business guidelines. Administration should also evaluate the reasons for the physician’s delayed response and provide feedback and education to prevent future occurrences.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: AHIMA Practice Brief: Managing an Effective Query Process 4

When benchmarking with outside organizations, the clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) must determine if the organization is benchmarking with hospitals that are its peers because peer hospitals have similar characteristics such as size, location, teaching status, case mix index, and payer mix. Benchmarking with peer hospitals allows for a more accurate and meaningful comparison of performance indicators and outcomes. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2

Tracking denials within the clinical documentation integrity program is important to identify documentation improvement opportunities and educate as necessary because it helps to analyze the root causes of denials, improve the quality and specificity of clinical documentation, and reduce the risk of future denials. Denials can also provide feedback on the effectiveness of the CDI program and the areas that need more attention or intervention. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2

Outcome measures are indicators of the quality of care provided by a healthcare organization, such as mortality rates, readmission rates, hospital-acquired conditions, patient safety indicators, and patient satisfaction scores. These measures are used by CMS to evaluate and compare the performance of hospitals and other providers under various pay-for-performance programs, such as value-based purchasing, hospital readmissions reduction program, hospital-acquired condition reduction program, and hospital inpatient quality reporting program. A CDI program can influence these outcome measures by ensuring that the clinical documentation accurately reflects the severity of illness, risk of mortality, and complexity of care of the patients. This can help to improve the risk adjustment and case mix index of the organization, as well as to identify and prevent potential quality issues.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• CDIP® Exam Preparation Guide (https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077)

A query should be generated when the documentation is conflicting, meaning that there is contradictory or inconsistent information in the medical record that may affect the accuracy of coding, quality reporting, or reimbursement. For example, if the documentation in the progress notes differs from the documentation in the discharge summary, or if different providers document different diagnoses or procedures for the same patient, a query may be needed to resolve the discrepancy and obtain clarification from the source of the documentation. A query should not be generated when the documentation is legible, consistent, or complete, as these are desirable characteristics of documentation that do not require further clarification or verification.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• Accurate Documentation is Essential – Knowing When to Query your Providers1

According to the ACDIS Practice Brief, a query escalation policy should describe how to handle situations in which an answer is not received, an inappropriate answer or comment is provided, etc. The escalation policy should address when the issue is brought to the physician advisor, the department director, or administration with defined actions as to the responsibilities at each level. The policies should reflect a method of response that can realistically occur for the organization1. In this case, since two physicians have significantly lower query response rates than the target, the CDI physician advisor/champion should schedule individual meetings with each low-performing physician to provide feedback, education, and support. A group meeting with all physicians may not be effective or efficient, as it may not address the specific barriers or challenges faced by the low-performing physicians. A meeting with the chair of the gastroenterology department may be helpful, but it may not be sufficient to resolve the issue without direct communication with the low-performing physicians.

References:

• CDI Week 2020 Q&A: CDI and key performance indicators1

Inconsistent clinically relevant queries may make physicians lose respect for CDI efforts and disengage because they may perceive them as irrelevant, redundant, or contradictory. Clinically relevant queries are those that affect the quality of care, patient safety, severity of illness, risk of mortality, or reimbursement. Inconsistent queries may result from lack of standardization, conflicting guidelines, poor communication, or lack of clinical validation. To avoid inconsistency, CDI practitioners should follow best practices such as using evidence-based criteria, adhering to query policies and procedures, collaborating with coding and quality staff, and seeking feedback from physicians and physician advisors 2.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 136 3 2: Proactive CDI: Tackling the Problem of Physician Engagement 4

The factor that should be examined when developing documentation integrity projects is CC and MCC capture rates. CC stands for complication or comorbidity, and MCC stands for major complication or comorbidity. These are secondary diagnoses that affect the severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) of the patient, as well as the reimbursement and quality measures of the hospital. CC and MCC capture rates measure how well the clinical documentation reflects the presence and impact of these conditions on the patient’s care. Examining CC and MCC capture rates can help to identify documentation improvement opportunities, goals, strategies, and outcomes4 References: 1: https://www.ahima.org/media/owmhxbv1/cdip_contentoutline_2023_final.pdf  4: https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077

A query should be generated to ask the physician for the POA indicator of the fall because the documentation is unclear whether the fall was present at the time of inpatient admission or not. The POA indicator is used to identify conditions that are present or not present at the time of admission, and has payment implications for certain hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). According to CMS, a fall resulting in trauma is one of the HACs that will not be paid at a higher rate if it is not present on admission. Therefore, it is important to clarify the POA indicator of the fall to ensure accurate coding and reimbursement. A query should be non-leading, concise, clear, relevant, and consistent with CDI standards and guidelines.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• Coding | CMS1
• Present on Admission Indicators - Novitas Solutions2

facilities must develop an escalation policy for unanswered queries and address any medical staff concerns regarding queries1. If a query does not receive an appropriate professional response, the case should be referred for further review in accordance with the facility’s written escalation policy2. The escalation policy should address when the issue is brought to the physician advisor, the department director, or administration with defined actions as to the responsibilities at each level1. The policies should reflect a method of response that can realistically occur for the organization1. Therefore, reviewing the facility’s query policies and procedures is the best approach to ensure compliance and consistency in handling unanswered queries.

The other options are not advisable because they either involve skipping the escalation policy, notifying the physician advisor/champion without proper review or feedback, contacting the physician repeatedly without respecting their time or availability, or notifying the coding team without resolving the query issue.

 One of the factors that an organization should consider when developing a query retention policy and procedure is if the query is considered part of the health record or not. According to the AHIMA/ACDIS query practice brief1, a query is considered part of the health record if it meets any of the following criteria:

• It is used to clarify documentation that affects code assignment or other data elements
• It is used to support clinical validation of a diagnosis or procedure
• It is used to support medical necessity or quality indicators
• It is used to communicate clinical information between providers If a query is part of the health record, it should be retained according to the organization’s health record retention policy and procedure, which should comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The query retention policy and procedure should also address issues such as:
• The format and location of the query (e.g., paper, electronic, hybrid)
• The security and confidentiality of the query
• The accessibility and availability of the query
• The ownership and custodianship of the query
• The legal implications and evidentiary value of the query

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice—2022 Update1

According to AHIMA, clinical documentation is at the core of every patient encounter and it must be meaningful to accurately reflect the patient’s disease burden and scope of services provided. In order to be meaningful, the documentation must be clear, consistent, complete, precise, reliable, timely, and legible1. Reliability is one of the criteria for clinical documentation that means the content of the record is trustworthy, safe, and yielding the same result when repeated1. Reliability ensures that the documentation is consistent with the clinical evidence and reasoning, and that it can be verified by other sources or methods. Reliability also implies that the documentation is free from errors, omissions, contradictions, or ambiguities that could compromise its validity or usefulness1.

References:

• Clinical Documentation Integrity Education & Training | AHIMA1

According to the AHIMA/ACDIS Query Practice Brief, whether or not queries should be kept as a permanent part of the medical record is decided by the organizational policy of each facility1. There is no federal or state law that mandates the retention of queries in the medical record, although some external reviewers may request copies of queries to validate the query wording and compliance2. Physician preference is not a valid factor in determining the query retention policy, as queries should be handled consistently across the organization3. Therefore, the correct answer is D. organizational policy. References:

• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA
• Q&A: Develop policies regarding query retention | ACDIS
• Q&A: Keep query retention policies consistent | ACDIS

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a neurological event with the signs and symptoms of a stroke, but which go away within a short period of time. TIA is assigned to DRG 069, which is a medical DRG. Cerebrovascular disease was ruled out, so it cannot be coded as a secondary diagnosis. The other options are incorrect because they do not reflect the principal diagnosis of TIA.

A CC/MCC capture rate is a metric that measures the percentage of cases that have at least one complication or comorbidity (CC) or major complication or comorbidity (MCC) coded in the medical record. This metric is important for a CDI program because CCs and MCCs affect the severity of illness, risk of mortality, and reimbursement of the cases under the Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) system. A higher CC/MCC capture rate indicates a more accurate and complete documentation of the patient’s condition and the resources used to treat them. A CDI program can use this metric to monitor the effectiveness of its queries, education, and feedback to the providers and coders. A CDI program can also compare its CC/MCC capture rate with national or regional benchmarks to identify areas of improvement or best practices 2.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: The Natural History of CDI Programs: A Metric-Based Model 4

Patient identification and demographic accuracy is the process of ensuring that the patient’s identity and personal information are correctly recorded and verified in the health record and other systems. A potential breach of this process could result in automated registration entries that generate erroneous patient identification, which could lead to patient safety and quality of care issues, enabling fraudulent activity involving patient identity theft, or providing unjustified care for profit2

Authorship integrity is the process of ensuring that the source and content of the health record are authentic, accurate, complete, and consistent. Documentation integrity is the process of ensuring that the health record reflects the patient’s clinical status, treatment, and outcomes. Auditing integrity is the process of ensuring that the health record is reviewed and monitored for compliance, quality, and improvement purposes2

1: https://www.ahima.org/media/owmhxbv1/cdip_contentoutline_2023_final.pdf  2: https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077

A yes/no query may not be used in circumstances where only clinical indicators of a condition are present, and the condition/diagnosis has not been documented in the health record because it may lead to leading or suggesting a diagnosis that is not supported by the provider’s documentation. A yes/no query should only be used when there is clear and consistent documentation of a condition/diagnosis in the health record, and the query is seeking confirmation or denial of a specific fact or detail related to that condition/diagnosis. A multiple-choice, open-ended, or verbal query may be more appropriate to allow the provider to choose from a list of possible diagnoses, provide additional information, or explain the clinical reasoning behind the documentation. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2
• AHIMA Practice Brief: Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice3

A transbronchial biopsy is a procedure that involves obtaining tissue samples from the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs through a bronchoscope. A pathology report documenting alveolar tissue is a clinical documentation element that supports a transbronchial biopsy, as it confirms the source and nature of the tissue sample.

References: AHIMA. “CDIP Exam Preparation.” AHIMA Press, Chicago, IL, 2017: 55-56.

CMI is a metric that reflects the diversity, complexity, and severity of the patients treated at a healthcare facility, such as a hospital. CMI is used by CMS to determine hospital reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. CMI is calculated by adding up the relative MS-DRG weight for each discharge, and dividing that by the total number of Medicare and Medicaid discharges in a given month and year. Higher CMI values indicate that a hospital has treated a greater number of complex, resource-intensive patients, and the hospital may be reimbursed at a higher rate for those cases.

However, CMI is not the best measure of CDI performance, because it is influenced by many factors beyond CDI efforts, such as patient population, coding accuracy, documentation specificity, patient comorbidities, high volumes of highly weighted DRGs, and annual updates to relative MS-DRG weights. Therefore, measuring CMI over time with a focus on particular documentation improvement areas in addition to the overall CMI can provide a more comprehensive and meaningful assessment of CDI performance. For example, CDI programs can track CMI changes for specific DRGs, clinical conditions, or service lines that are targeted for documentation improvement initiatives. This can help identify the impact of CDI interventions on documentation quality, accuracy, and completeness.

A. Over time with a focus on high relative weight (RW) procedures that impact these procedures on overall CMI. This is not the best way to measure CMI as a metric of CDI performance, because it may not reflect the true complexity and severity of the patients treated at the facility. Focusing only on high RW procedures may overlook other documentation improvement opportunities for lower RW procedures or medical cases that may also affect patient outcomes, quality indicators, and reimbursement.

C. Month-to-month and focus on patient volumes to determine the raise the overall CMI. This is not a valid way to measure CMI as a metric of CDI performance, because patient volumes do not directly affect CMI. CMI is calculated by dividing the total relative weights by the total number of discharges, so increasing patient volumes will not necessarily raise the overall CMI unless the relative weights also increase.

D. Month-to-month to show CMI variability as a barometer of a specific month. This is not a reliable way to measure CMI as a metric of CDI performance, because month-to-month variations in CMI may be due to random fluctuations or seasonal effects that are not related to CDI efforts. Measuring CMI over a longer period of time can provide a more stable and accurate picture of CDI performance.

References:

• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, 2021 Edition. AHIMA Press. ISBN: 9781584268530
• Case Mix Index (CMI) | Definitive Healthcare
• Q&A: Understanding case mix index | ACDIS

A query should include relevant clinical indicators from the health record that support the need for clarification and the query options. Clinical indicators are objective and measurable signs, symptoms, laboratory results, diagnostic test results, medications, treatments, and other documented findings that are related to a specific diagnosis or condition. Information from previous encounters, the impact on quality, and the impact of reimbursement are not appropriate to include in a query, as they may introduce bias, lead the provider, or imply a desired response.

The abbreviation NEC stands for “not elsewhere classified” and is used in the ICD-10-CM Alphabetical Index when a specific code is not available for a condition. The coder should use the NEC notation to locate the closest existing code that matches the documented diagnosis. For example, if the physician documented a malignant neoplasm of the left upper eyelid, but the Alphabetical Index only has an entry for malignant neoplasm of eyelid NEC, then the coder should use the code C44.10 (Unspecified malignant neoplasm of unspecified eyelid, including canthus) and assign a seventh character to specify laterality. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2
• ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 20213

According to the AHIMA best practice for written queries, queries should be limited to non-leading questions that do not imply a specific answer or diagnosis, but rather ask for the provider’s opinion based on their clinical judgment and the evidence in the health record. Non-leading questions help to ensure that the query is compliant, objective, and respectful of the provider’s authority and autonomy. Leading questions, on the other hand, may introduce bias, influence the provider’s response, or compromise the integrity of the documentation and coding. For example, a non-leading query for a patient with chest pain would be: “What is the etiology of the chest pain?” A leading query would be: “Is the chest pain due to acute myocardial infarction?”

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice—2022 Update1

An outstanding query may result in an incomplete health record deficiency being assigned to a provider, if the query is not answered or resolved before the discharge or final coding of the patient. An outstanding query is a query that has been generated by the clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) or the coder, but has not been acknowledged or addressed by the provider. An outstanding query may affect the accuracy and completeness of the health record, as well as the coding, reimbursement, quality measures, and compliance of the hospital. References: : https://www.ahima.org/media/owmhxbv1/cdip_contentoutline_2023_final.pdf : https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides external benchmarks to examine the effectiveness of a facility’s clinical documentation program by developing and disseminating quality indicators (QIs) that measure various aspects of health care quality, such as patient safety, outcomes, efficiency, and effectiveness. These QIs are based on administrative data and can be used to compare the performance of different health care providers or facilities across the nation. The QIs include inpatient quality indicators (IQIs), patient safety indicators (PSIs), prevention quality indicators (PQIs), and pediatric quality indicators (PQIs). These QIs can help clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs identify areas of improvement, monitor trends, and evaluate the impact of CDI interventions on health care quality 2.

References: 1: Clinical Documentation Improvement Programs: Quality, Efficiency | Deloitte US Analysis 2 2: AHRQ Quality Indicators 3

A strategy that should be part of a project aimed at improving the unacceptable documentation behaviors of some physicians is to add a physician advisor/champion to the CDI team. A physician advisor/champion is a physician leader who supports and advocates for the CDI program, educates and mentors other physicians on documentation best practices, resolves conflicts and barriers, and provides feedback and recognition to physicians who improve their documentation. A physician advisor/champion can help change the documentation behaviors of some physicians by using peer influence, credibility, and authority to motivate them to comply with the CDI program goals and standards. A physician advisor/champion can also help bridge the gap between the CDI team and the physicians, and foster a culture of collaboration and quality improvement 23.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 136 4 2: The Role of Physician Advisors in Clinical Documentation Improvement Programs 5 3: Physician Advisor: The Key to Clinical Documentation Improvement Success

It is appropriate to code the pneumonia in this scenario because the condition is still present and being treated at the time of admission to the long-term care facility. According to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, a diagnosis is reportable if it is documented as “present on admission” or “active” by the provider, or if it requires or affects patient care treatment or management 2. In this case, the pneumonia is still active and requires IV antibiotics and a repeat x-ray, which indicates that it affects the patient care treatment and management. Therefore, the pneumonia should be coded as J18.9, Pneumonia, unspecified organism, which is the default code for pneumonia when no causal organism is identified 3. In addition, the code Z79.2, Long term (current) use of antibiotics, should be coded to indicate that the patient is receiving long term antibiotic therapy as part of the treatment plan 4.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 138 5 2: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2021, Section I.B.14 3: ICD-10-CM Code J18.9 - Pneumonia, unspecified organism 4: ICD-10-CM Code Z79.2 - Long term (current) use of antibiotics