CDI specialists probably think phrases like “interoperability” and “meaningful use” need not cross their minds—EHR implementation belongs in the hands of the IT or HIM department, right? The answer to that question is yes and no, says Barbara Hinkle-Azzara, RHIA, Vice President of Operations for Meta Health Technology in New York City.
The individual end-user (i.e., the CDI specialist reviewing medical records on the hospital floor) may not need to be involved in ‘checking off the boxes’ to certify meaningful use is met, but certainly adapting to an EHR and adhering to meaningful use requirements affects the information CDI professionals review and how they will ultimately perform their jobs. “EHR systems will change the CDI specialists’ experience,” she says.
