In September 2020, the well-known RQRS and NCDB Call for Data submissions programs were phased out with the release of the Commission on Cancer’s (COC) National Cancer Database (NCDB) new Rapid Cancer Reporting System (RCRS). The RQRS along with NCDB’s Call for Data, were both important tools used for quality improvement and real time reporting in accredited CoC...

Digital technologies play an important role in meeting the challenges of the post-pandemic world. Top agenda items for health systems moving out of the pandemic involve developing virtual care models, methods for coping with the financial aftermath, and crisis management lessons learned. Developing Virtual Care Covid-19 caused businesses and health systems to pivot...

In 2020, Congress designated the new 988 dialing code to be operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Beginning July 16, 2022, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support is available for anyone experiencing mental...

While writing policies and procedures often seem to be time-consuming and a challenge, they have many positive benefits that cannot be overlooked. For Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) program having written policies and procedure is part of compliance and the day-to-day operations of the CDI staff. When we think about written policies and procedures (P&Ps) we often...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their proposed Fiscal Year 2023 ICD-10-CM coding update and the final ICD-10-PCS codes changes. The ICD-10-CM proposal has some significant changes and new codes. The ICD-10-CM does have a high volume of new code to absorb and learn about. The ICD-10-PCS is always of interest with new procedure and devices...

Recent media reports document an increase in suspected and confirmed cases of the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox, first detected in lab monkeys in 1958, may have earned its moniker from the lab monkeys, but it’s actually thought it originally spread to humans from wild animals like rodents; today’s thinking is that it’s either spread by wild animals or from contact with other...

Each year the AMA (American Medical Association) publishes new, revised, and deleted codes to the CTP code set, including logic and rationale related to the updates. The CPT code set for 2022 includes several changes regarding spinal fusions- including revisions of guidelines, parenthetical notes, definitions and coding instructions. The key changes regarding spinal...

The 2021 Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) report contains statistics on improper payment made by the Medicare program to providers and is published annually. The CERT data is supported by a sample of Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) claims that were reviewed by an independent medical review contractor to determine if they were paid properly under Medicare coverage,...

The clinical coding of “Underdosing” has some very specific guidelines which must be understood and followed. We see “underdosing” scenario’s occur in both outpatient and inpatient encounters. Several ICD-10-CM codes will need to be assigned in order to capture the underdosing patient encounter accurately.  The clinical coding of a condition or diagnosis of “Underdosing”...

The question is simple – What is anemia? However, the answer is not necessarily so simple. Anemia is a condition that is marked by a deficiency of red blood cells, or hemoglobin. Anemia can be linked to a variety of conditions and diseases, and can affect people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. The more common forms of anemia are noted below.  NUTRITIONAL-DEFICIENCY...