The week's activities

Note: The following list of activities is suggestions from the CDI Recognition Week committee on how you can celebrate Clinical Documentation Improvement Week. Every facility must decide for itself what activities it can deliver.

Monday, Sept. 19

• Tune in for a special video message from Kindred Healthcare about the value of clinical documentation. Includes physicians talking to physicians about "what's in it for them." Forward the link to your docs or play the clip in your physician lounges.
• Print out and post the Clinical Documentation Improvement Week poster ("Paving the Path to an Accurate and Complete Medical Record") in a prominent place to kick off the week.

AND/OR

• During your concurrent reviews play a trivia game with physicians. For example, "Dr. Jones: try to give me a more specific diagnosis for CHF." "Dr. Smith-what's a more specific diagnosis than acute renal insufficiency?" Carry some hard candy to give out as a reward.

Tuesday, Sept. 20

• Ask your CEO/ administrators to write a thank you letter to the CDI staff thanking them for what they do in their role. Surprise your colleagues with the letter!

AND/OR

• Arrange for a physician to present an inservice on a specific disease process, expected vs. true complications of surgery, etc.

Wednesday, Sept. 21

• Enter our contest: E-mail ACDIS at bmurphy@cdiassociation.com and tell us about your best CDI success story (for example, a successful process you developed, a difficult query you had answered, a department goal you met, or a tough physician you won over). We will publish some of these success stories on the ACDIS website. Bonus: The 10th and 50th respondents will win an ACDIS book or audio conference of their choice.

AND/OR

• Place a poster in your nursing units and in the physicians' dictation area about specific documentation requirements of a problematic diagnosis (i.e., CHF, sepsis, encephalopathy). Alternatively, the poster could demonstrate a case study comparing documentation pre- and post-query, showing the change in length of stay, severity of illness, and risk of mortality.

Thursday, Sept. 22

• Download and use one of our sample powerpoint training presentations and present the information to your physician staff during lunch. Consider one of the following options:
  • The merits of clinical documentation: Medical necessity and physician E&M
  • Documentation: Painting the picture of severity of illness/risk of mortality
  • Cardiology service line presentation

AND/OR

• Write thank you letters to your top docs and NPs/PAs who were especially helpful and cooperative throughout the year. They will enjoy the recognition and praise.

Friday, Sept. 23

• Ask your Medical Director to send out an e-mail blast to all physicians reminding them what an important job you do!

AND/OR

• Serve cookies and soft drinks to your hospital staff as a way to wrap up the week and say thanks.