Health Information Management

Q&A: How should CDI programs track mortality information?

CDI Strategies, June 25, 2009

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to CDI Strategies!

Q: Do established CDI programs typically track mortality rates concurrently or by trending historical data? We would like to show our physicians how documentation influences their mortality rates and the hospital's mortality rate, but are not sure what data to look at.
 
A: To track mortality rates, establish a baseline (e.g., 12 months before you start a program) and compare your facility’s performance to a peer group to establish expected mortality rates. Then, use the actual death rate against the expected death rate to calculate your variance. 
 
Many facilities use the state in which they are located as the peer group. When they are a University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) facility, they use UHC as the peer group. They then measure mortality rates against expected each quarter after they implement a program to see that their variance improves.
 
You should trend down to the service line level where you have large variances and also down to individual high volume DRGs with variances.
 
Editor’s note: Garri Garrison, RN, CPUR, CPC, CMC, director of consulting services with 3M Health Information Systems (HIS) and a member of the ACDIS Advisory Board, answered this question. Contact her at glgarrison@mmm.com.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to CDI Strategies!

    Briefings on APCs

  • Briefings on APCs

    Worried about the complexities of the new rules under OPPS and APCs? Briefings on APCs helps you understand the new rules...

  • Medical Records Briefing

    Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a...

  • Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies

    Submitting improper Medicare documentaion can lead to denial of fees, payback, fines, and increased diligence from payers...

  • Briefings on HIPAA

    How can you minimize the impact of HIPAA? Subscribe to Briefings on HIPAA, your health information management resource for...

  • APC Answer Letter

    Get this informative 8-page newsletter filled with answers to readers' questions!

Most Popular

Related Articles