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Sharon Cooper is a Registered Nurse and Manager of CDI and Appeals at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital in Owensboro, KY. She has been working in healthcare since 1979 and moved into the CDI space in 2005. Since then, she has seen how CDI has evolved and the impact of Advanced Practice CDI on patient outcomes and medical research.
Sharon shares how CDI started out as a tool for looking at revenue, optimizing DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups) and capturing co-morbid conditions. However, today, it also focuses on integral pieces of care that impact patient care like:
Patient site indicators
Hospital-acquired infections
Severity of illness
Risk of mortality
In Sharon’s role, she works on big-picture issues that shape patient care with physicians, the billing department, case management for medical necessity, prior authorization and more. If her staff can’t find an answer, she digs into the records and looks at the original coding to help them find what they are looking for or communicate more effectively with the physician.
Advanced Practice CDI is more holistic than just CDI. Sharon highlights that it’s about making sure that the patient note has integrity and physicians understand how to document correctly. It’s about learning from others. It’s about networking with other hospitals and CDI professionals, at conferences and on a regular basis, to see what has worked for them and what hasn’t in order to improve.
Sharon shares how doing the extra research and taking the initiative to really dig into documentation is key. Looking at reputable sources like HIMA, JAMA, ACTUS, and peer-reviewed journals can reveal important information for better patient care.
Sharon emphasizes that if your institution is not utilizing CDI, you are behind. Today, most hospitals have some sort of CDI, whether it’s Advanced Practice CDI or conventional CDI. It improves reimbursement, quality measures, and patient care outcomes.
In her experience, Sharon has seen how quality CDI has contributed to research, data, and standardized care. The more specific CDI is, the bigger impact it has on studies and helping physicians see what works and what doesn’t work.
12:40 “I thought I was smart out on the floor as a nurse, but once I got into CDI I realized there was so much I did not know. That was a big realization.”
Sharon shares that working in CDI still allows you to have a direct impact on patient health. For example, if you see your physician has gaps in their record or forgets something, you can not only make sure that the patient receives the care they need, you can also make sure their payer pays for the care they deserve.
Sharon says the work is rewarding on all fronts. It’s a growing field with opportunities for professionals to learn and make a difference in patients’ lives.
