Authentic AHIMA Certification Exam CDIP Questions Answers

According to AHIMA, best practice for fixing a mistake in a patient health record is that errors are corrected by the clinician who authored the documentation1. The clinician who made the error should identify and correct the inaccurate information, and document the date, time, and reason for the correction1. The correction should also be made in a way that preserves the original content and does not obscure or delete it1. The other options are not correct according to AHIMA. Any physician caring for the patient cannot correct inaccurate record notes, as this may compromise the accountability and integrity of the documentation2. Amendments to record content do not need to be co-signed by the attending physician, unless required by organizational policy or state law3. Coders cannot rely on the laboratory results to confirm the patient’s diagnosis, as they should code based on the physician’s documentation and not on test results alone. References:

• Making Corrections in the Electronic Health Record - AHIMA
• Auditing Copy and Paste - AHIMA
• Amendments, Corrections, and Deletions in Transcribed Reports Toolkit - AHIMA
• [Coding from Test Results | Journal Of AHIMA]

According to AHIMA’s Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice, the clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) should complete the documentation at the time of discussion or immediately following to avoid a compliance risk for this follow up failure. This is because verbal queries are considered part of the health record and must be documented in a timely and accurate manner to reflect the provider’s response and any changes in documentation or coding. Completing the documentation later or only when there is an agreement may result in errors, omissions, inconsistencies, or delays that may affect the quality and integrity of the health record and the query process. (AHIMA Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice1)

References:

• AHIMA Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice1

A physician advisor/champion is a physician leader who supports and advocates for the CDI program and its objectives. A physician advisor/champion can help overcome the objections of other physicians by providing education, feedback, guidance, and mentorship on documentation best practices and their impact on revenue, quality, and patient care. A physician advisor/champion can also act as a liaison between the CDI firm and the medical staff, resolve conflicts or discrepancies in documentation, and foster a culture of collaboration and improvement. Physicians are more likely to trust and engage with their peers who understand their clinical perspective and challenges, rather than an external CDI firm that may be perceived as intrusive or disruptive.

A. Create a vision statement that outlines the project objectives. This is not sufficient to collaborate with physicians and overcome their objections. A vision statement is a general statement that describes the desired outcome of the project, but it does not address the specific concerns or questions that physicians may have about the CDI firm’s role, methods, or benefits.

B. Communicate the benefits of the CDI firm about the project. This is not enough to collaborate with physicians and overcome their objections. Communicating the benefits of the CDI firm may be informative, but it may not be persuasive or credible if it comes from the CDI firm itself, without any endorsement or support from a physician leader within the organization.

C. Hire a consultant to communicate the benefits to the physicians. This is not a good way to collaborate with physicians and overcome their objections. Hiring a consultant may add another layer of complexity and cost to the project, and it may not improve the trust or relationship between the CDI firm and the physicians. A consultant may also lack the clinical expertise or authority to influence the physicians’ behavior or attitude.

References:

• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, 2021 Edition. AHIMA Press. ISBN: 9781584268530
• Q&A: Defining roles for physician advisor/champion | ACDIS
• Q&A: The Role of the Physician Advisor in CDI | ACDIS
• The Role of a Physician Advisor - UASI Solutions
• PA/NP in Physician Champion / Advisor Role — ACDIS Forums