Pass the AHIMA Documentation Integrity Practitioner (CDI) CDIP Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

The name of the medication (aspirin), the date, time and location where it was last administered should be documented in the health record for inpatients with a discharge principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, unless a contraindication to aspirin is documented. This is because aspirin is a core measure for acute myocardial infarction patients, and its administration within 24 hours of arrival is an indicator of quality of care and patient safety. The date, time and location are important to verify that the medication was given within the specified timeframe and to avoid duplication or omission of doses4 References: 1: https://www.ahima.org/media/owmhxbv1/cdip_contentoutline_2023_final.pdf  4: https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077

The first step that a clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) should take to determine the present on admission (POA) status of a stage IV sacral decubitus ulcer documented in the discharge summary is to review the history and physical (H&P) because it is the initial source of information about the patient’s condition at the time of admission. The H&P should include a comprehensive physical examination that covers all body systems, including the skin. If the H&P documents the presence of a stage IV sacral decubitus ulcer, then the POA status is “yes”. If the H&P does not mention the ulcer, then the CDIP should look for other sources of documentation, such as wound care notes, nursing notes, or progress notes, to see if the ulcer was identified or treated during the hospital stay. If there is no clear evidence of when the ulcer developed, then the CDIP should query the attending provider to clarify the POA status. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

CDIP Exam Content Outline1

CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2

Present on Admission Reporting Guidelines3

Query professionals should follow their healthcare entity’s internal policies related to querying, as they may vary depending on the organization’s size, structure, scope, and goals. The internal policies should be based on industry best practices and standards, such as those provided by AHIMA and ACDIS, as well as applicable laws and regulations, such as those from CMS and OIG. However, AHIMA’s and CMS’s policies are not binding for all healthcare entities, and they may not address all the specific situations and challenges that query professionals may encounter. Therefore, query professionals should be familiar with their own healthcare entity’s policies and procedures for querying, such as the query format, content, timing, delivery method, escalation process, retention, and audit. The other options are incorrect because they do not reflect the diversity and complexity of query policies across different healthcare entities.

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

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

According to the AHIMA CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, a documentation integrity project is a systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and improving the quality and accuracy of clinical documentation in the health record1. A documentation integrity project may have various purposes, such as enhancing patient safety, improving coding and reimbursement, or complying with regulatory standards1. One of the common issues that may affect the quality and accuracy of clinical documentation is the indiscriminate use of electronic copy and paste of patient information in records by physicians2. Copy and paste is a function that allows physicians to duplicate existing text in the record and paste it in a new destination, which may save time and effort, but also may introduce errors, inconsistencies, or redundancies in the documentation2. Therefore, to quantify the extent of the problem of copy and paste, the data that should be used is the incidence of redundancies in physician notes in a sample of hospital admissions. Redundancies are repeated or unnecessary information that may clutter the record and impair its readability and reliability3. By measuring the frequency and types of redundancies in physician notes, the hospital can assess the impact of copy and paste on the documentation quality and identify areas for improvement. The other options are not correct because they do not directly measure the problem of copy and paste. The percent of insurance billings denied due to lack of record documentation may reflect other issues besides copy and paste, such as incomplete or inaccurate documentation, coding errors, or payer policies4. The number of coder queries regarding inconsistent physician record documentation may indicate the presence of copy and paste, but it may also depend on other factors such as coder knowledge, query guidelines, or query response rate. The results of a survey of physicians that asks about documentation practices may provide some insight into the perceptions and attitudes of physicians regarding copy and paste, but it may not reflect the actual extent or impact of the problem on the documentation quality. References:

CDIP Exam Preparation Guide - AHIMA

Auditing Copy and Paste - AHIMA

Copy/Paste: Prevalence, Problems, and Best Practices - AHIMA

Documentation Denials: How to Avoid Them - AAPC

[Q&A: Querying for clinical validation | ACDIS]

The appropriate action in this case is to query the physician to see if acute renal failure is clinically supported. This is because the patient has signs and symptoms of acute renal failure, such as oliguria, pulmonary edema, and elevated creatinine, but the diagnosis is not documented in the medical record. Acute renal failure is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid decline in kidney function and accumulation of metabolic waste products. It can be caused by various factors, such as dehydration, hypovolemia, sepsis, nephrotoxins, or obstruction. Acute renal failure can be classified according to the RIFLE criteria (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage kidney disease) or the AKIN criteria (Acute Kidney Injury Network), which are based on changes in serum creatinine and urine output 23. A query to the physician is needed to confirm or rule out the diagnosis of acute renal failure, specify the etiology and severity of the condition, and document any associated complications or comorbidities. A query to the physician will also improve the accuracy and completeness of the documentation and coding, and reflect the true clinical picture and resource utilization of the patient.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 4 2: Acute Kidney Injury: Diagnosis and Management | AAFP 3: AKIN Classification for Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) - MDCalc

The physician advisor/champion is a key role in the CDI program who serves as a liaison between the CDI staff and the organization’s medical and surgical staff. The physician advisor/champion needs to provide ongoing education regarding coding and reimbursement regulations to the organization’s medical and surgical staff to promote awareness, understanding, and compliance with CDI initiatives and goals.

References: AHIMA. “CDIP Exam Preparation.” AHIMA Press, Chicago, IL, 2017: 97-98.

An appropriate first step to address physicians with low query response rates is an educational session between the clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) and physician because it provides an opportunity to explain the purpose and benefits of the query process, to identify and address any barriers or challenges to responding, and to offer feedback and guidance on how to improve query response rates. An educational session can also help to build rapport and trust between the CDIP and the physician, and to demonstrate respect and professionalism. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

CDIP Exam Content Outline1

CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2

Understanding CDI Metrics3