A patient has a history of asthma and presents with complaints of fever, cough, general body aches, and lethargy. The patient's child was recently diagnosed with influenza. Wheezing is heard on exam. The physician documents the diagnosis as asthma exacerbation and orders nebulizer treatments of Albuterol and a 5-day course of oral Prednisone. The clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) is unsure which signs and symptoms are inherent to asthma. Which reference resource should be used to obtain this information?
Correct Answer:
C
The reference resource that should be used to obtain information about the signs and symptoms that are inherent to asthma is The Merck Manual. This is a comprehensive medical reference that covers various topics related to diseases, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The Merck Manual provides a detailed description of asthma, including its causes, risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and complications. According to The Merck Manual, the signs and symptoms that are inherent to asthma are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and dyspnea (shortness of breath) 2. These symptoms are caused by the reversible bronchoconstriction and inflammation of the airways that characterize asthma. The Merck Manual also explains how these symptoms can be triggered or exacerbated by various factors, such as allergens, infections, exercise, cold air, stress, or medications 2.
References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: Asthma - Pulmonary Disorders - Merck Manuals Professional Edition 4
An 88-year-old male is admitted with a fever, cough, and leukocytosis. The physician documents admit for probable sepsis due to urinary tract infection (UTI). Antibiotics are started. Three days later, the blood and urine cultures are negative, the patient has been afebrile since admission, and the white blood count is returning to normal. What documentation clarification is needed to support accurate coding of the record?
Correct Answer:
B
According to the Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA1, clinical validation is a process by which documentation is evaluated to ensure that the medical record demonstrates enough clinical support for all documented diagnoses as mandated by the False Claims Act. If there is a lack of clinical support for sepsis or UTI within the documentation, a clinical validation query should be sent. Query choices should list sepsis or UTI as ruled out versus ruled in (because the physician is documenting sepsis or UTI), but the query choice should also ask the provider to provide additional clinical support within the medical record. Additional query choices that are supported by clinical indicators listed on the query should also be listed as appropriate1.
In this case, the patient was admitted with a fever, cough, and leukocytosis, which are signs and symptoms of sepsis or UTI. However, three days later, the blood and urine cultures are negative, the patient has been afebrile since admission, and the white blood count is returning to normal, which are indicators that sepsis or UTI may not be present or resolved. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the documented diagnoses of sepsis and UTI and the clinical evidence in the record. A clinical validation query should be sent to clarify if sepsis and UTI are still valid diagnoses or if they have been ruled out after
study. The query should also request additional documentation of any other clinical indicators that support the diagnosis of sepsis or UTI, such as vital signs, physical exam findings, inflammatory markers, imaging results, etc1.
References:
✑ Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA1
The clinical documentation integrity (CDI) manager has noted a query response rate of 60%. The CDI practitioner reports that physicians often respond verbally to the query. What can be done to improve this rate?
Correct Answer:
B
According to the AHIMA/ACDIS Query Practice Brief, one of the best practices for a compliant query process is to require physicians to document their responses to queries in the health record1. This ensures that the documentation is consistent, accurate, and complete, and that the query and response are part of the permanent record. Verbal responses are not acceptable, as they do not provide a clear audit trail and may lead to errors or discrepancies in coding and billing1. Therefore, the CDI manager should educate the physicians on the importance of documenting their responses in the charts and monitor their compliance. The other options are not recommended, as they may compromise the integrity of the documentation or violate the query guidelines1. References:
✑ Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA
Identify the error in the following query:
This patient's echocardiogram showed an ejection fraction of 25%. The chest x-ray showed congestive heart failure (CHF). The patient was prescribed Lasix and an angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI). Is this patient's CHF systolic?
Correct Answer:
D
A leading query is one that suggests a specific diagnosis, condition, or treatment to the provider, or implies that a certain response is desired or expected. A leading query can compromise the integrity and accuracy of the documentation and the coded data, and may also raise compliance and ethical issues. A query should be non-leading, meaning that it presents the facts from the health record without bias or influence, and allows the provider to use their clinical judgment to determine the appropriate response.
The query in the question is leading because it implies that the patient??s CHF is systolic by asking a yes/no question that only offers one option. A non-leading query would ask an open-ended question that offers multiple options, such as ??What type of CHF does this patient have??? or ??Please specify the type of CHF: systolic, diastolic, or combined.?? References:
✑ CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, 2021 Edition. AHIMA Press. ISBN: 9781584268530
✑ Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice—2022 Update | ACDIS
✑ Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA
✑ The Provider Query Toolkit: A Guide to Compliant Practices
An otherwise healthy male was admitted to undergo a total hip replacement as treatment for ongoing primary osteoarthritis of the right hip. During the post-operative period, the patient choked on liquids which resulted in aspiration pneumonia as shown on chest x-ray. Intravenous antibiotics were administered, and the pneumonia was monitored for improvement with two additional chest x-rays. The patient was discharged to home in stable condition on post-operative day 5. Final Diagnoses:
* 1. Primary osteoarthritis of right hip status post uncomplicated total hip replacement
* 2. Aspiration pneumonia due to choking on liquid episode
What is the correct diagnostic related group assignment?
Correct Answer:
B
The correct diagnostic related group (DRG) assignment for this case is 469 Major Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity with MCC. This is because the principal diagnosis is primary osteoarthritis of right hip status post uncomplicated total hip replacement, which belongs to the Major Diagnostic Category (MDC) 08 Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue. The DRG 469 is assigned to cases with this MDC and a surgical procedure code for major joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity. The secondary diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia due to choking on liquid episode qualifies as a major complication or comorbidity (MCC), which increases the relative weight and payment for the DRG. The MCC is determined by applying the Medicare Code Editor (MCE) software, which checks the validity and compatibility of the diagnosis codes and assigns them to different severity levels based on the CMS Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) definitions manual 2.
References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual, Version 38.0, p. 8-9 4