Posts by Norwood Staffing
Could AI increase clinician burnout? The answer is yes… and the solution is human beings
By Brian Murphy Could artificial intelligence (AI) increase physician burdens—and burnout? This headline from Healthcare Dive (see link to full article in the comments) is provocative … but might not be clickbait. This is admittedly a complex issue with a lot of “it depends.” It depends on what product you’re using. It depends on what…
Read MoreNew sepsis aftercare code Z51.A: How would you assign to this clinical scenario?
By Joanne Wilson, RN, ADN, CCDS, Senior Director, Solutions We have a new ICD-10-CM code to bill sepsis aftercare. Effective October 1, 2024, coders can report Z51.A: Encounter for Sepsis Aftercare. Z51.A was long in the making, needed to fill a gap in post-sepsis care. Sepsis is nasty and can result in long-term health complications.…
Read MoreMission-Driven Medicine: Dr. Pablo Buitron de la Vega’s SDOH crusade, from capture to care
Listen to the episode here. Social Determinants of Health, or SDOH, are a buzzword these days—but often little more. We acknowledge their importance, but actual progress on capture (and subsequent patient support) has been slow. To be fair real barriers including technological limitations and limited financial incentives stand in the way. But my current…
Read MoreWhat is the obligation of a Medicare Advantage plan? Shareholder value, or patient health?
By Brian Murphy What is the obligation of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans? Maximizing shareholder value? Or, keeping members healthy? It’s both … but ultimately the latter, I believe. YMMV. Recently I stated that UnitedHealth and other MA organizations bear responsibility in keeping their members healthy. A healthcare executive disagreed: “Is State Farm responsible for keeping…
Read MoreOutpatient CDI clinical scenario: What’s your next move?
By Joanne Wilson, RN, ADN, CCDS For this month’s CDI suggestion I wanted to offer up a clinical scenario for your consideration. I do encourage you to read it, and think about what you’d do. My suggestion follows. A patient is scheduled for an appointment with their provider in 96 hours. As a prospective OP…
Read MorePrepare for April 1 OCG changes to COVID-19, obesity, and sepsis
By Brian Murphy An update to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (OCG) is out. These changes take effect April 1. I’ve provided the link below. The following three changes are of particular importance to CDI and coding professionals. I recommend reviewing the entire document which won’t take long; as a reminder, the…
Read MoreCracking the Code: Victoria Vo’s Path to Entrepreneur, Social Media Stardom
Listen to the episode here. I’ve been in the coding and CDI worlds since 2004, and in that time watched the rise of Facebook, YouTube and other social media. And as early 2011 or so I began to wonder, will anyone pair these two together? When will see our first social media creator in…
Read MoreRigorous patient scheduling critical to success in a risk adjustment environment
By Jason Jobes, SVP, Solutions Best Practice Tip: On January 1st of every year identify what percentage of your patients’ risk-based contracts have a scheduled PCP appointment. As full implementation of V28 of CMS-HCCs looms larger, I want to share a best practice I discuss with our partners. What percent of your patients have their…
Read MoreWhat responsibilities does a CDI specialist or IP coder possess in an AI-enabled environment? A look at some pros and cons
By Brian Murphy What does it mean to work as a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) or inpatient coder in a high-tech, AI-enabled environment? I got a glimpse of the future (for some, the present) this week while attending the ACDIS Virtual Symposium. And jotted down a few pros/cons as I see them, from the perspective…
Read MoreWant to be a better CDI or coding professional? You must read the chart
By Brian Murphy You’ve got to read. Whether it’s a blog post, a book, or in the case of the professions I serve, the patient’s chart. Reading results in comprehension and eventually, understanding. It takes time, but it’s time well-spent. I believe very strongly in this, which is why in my ACDIS…
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