CDIP Exam Dumps - AHIMA Documentation Integrity Practitioner (CDI) Questions and Answers

Educating physicians on severity of illness and risk of mortality is best accomplished by using case studies that demonstrate how documentation affects these indicators and how they impact patient care, quality outcomes, and reimbursement.

References: AHIMA. “CDIP Exam Preparation.” AHIMA Press, Chicago, IL, 2017: 97-98.

When benchmarking with outside organizations, the clinical documentation integrity practitioner (CDIP) must determine if the organization is benchmarking with hospitals that are its peers because peer hospitals have similar characteristics such as size, location, teaching status, case mix index, and payer mix. Benchmarking with peer hospitals allows for a more accurate and meaningful comparison of performance indicators and outcomes. (CDIP Exam Preparation Guide)

References:

• CDIP Exam Content Outline1
• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide2

This query option is the most compliant based on the most recent AHIMA/ACDIS query practice brief because it meets the following criteria:

• It is based on clinical indicators in the health record that support a reasonable and logical connection between the conditions (femur fracture and osteoporosis).
• It is non-leading and non-suggestive, as it does not imply a specific answer or diagnosis, but rather asks for the provider’s opinion based on their clinical judgment.
• It is concise and clear, as it uses simple and direct language that avoids ambiguity or confusion.
• It is relevant and specific, as it addresses a clinical issue that has an impact on patient care, quality reporting, and/or reimbursement.
• It is consistent with clinical documentation integrity (CDI) standards and guidelines, as it follows the AHIMA/ACDIS query practice brief recommendations for query format, content, delivery, and documentation.

References:

• CDIP® Exam Content Outline (https://www.ahima.org/media/1z0x0x1a/cdip-exam-content-outline.pdf)
• CDIP® Exam Preparation Guide (https://my.ahima.org/store/product?id=67077)
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice—2022 Update (https://acdis.org/resources/guidelines-achieving-compliant-query-practice%E2%80%942022-update)

A transbronchial biopsy is a procedure that involves obtaining tissue samples from the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs through a bronchoscope. A pathology report documenting alveolar tissue is a clinical documentation element that supports a transbronchial biopsy, as it confirms the source and nature of the tissue sample.

References: AHIMA. “CDIP Exam Preparation.” AHIMA Press, Chicago, IL, 2017: 55-56.

This is the most compliant query based on the most recent AHIMA/ACDIS query practice brief because it is non-leading, non-suggestive, and provides multiple options for the physician to choose from. It also does not imply any financial or quality implications for adding a diagnosis associated with the BMI.

References: AHIMA/ACDIS. “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update).” Journal of AHIMA 90, no. 2 (February 2019): 20-29.

According to the AHIMA CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, a query is a communication tool or process used to clarify documentation in the health record for documentation integrity and accurate code assignment1. A query should be clear, concise, and consistent, and should include relevant clinical indicators that support the query1. A query should also provide multiple choice answer options that are supported by clinical indicators and include a non-leading query statement2. In this case, the patient presents with signs and symptoms of sepsis, such as fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, hypotension, and elevated white blood count. The patient also has a positive sputum culture for klebsiella pneumoniae, which is the likely source of infection. However, the hospitalist continues to document septicemia due to pneumonia, which is a vague and outdated term that does not reflect the patient’s true severity of illness, risk of mortality, or reimbursement3. Therefore, a query to the hospitalist to clarify the diagnosis of sepsis and its etiology is appropriate and compliant. The diagnosis that implies that a query was sent and answered is B. Sepsis with pneumonia due to klebsiella pneumoniae. This diagnosis is more specific and accurate than septicemia due to pneumonia, as it indicates the type of infection (sepsis), the site of infection (pneumonia), and the causal organism (klebsiella pneumoniae). This diagnosis also affects the assignment of DRGs and quality scores. The other options are not correct because they either do not provide enough specificity ©, or they introduce additional diagnoses that are not supported by the clinical indicators (A and D). References:

• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide - AHIMA
• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA
• Q&A: Three query opportunities related to sepsis infections | ACDIS
• [Q&A: Clinical validation of sepsis and clinical criteria | ACDIS]

A CC/MCC capture rate is a metric that measures the percentage of cases that have at least one complication or comorbidity (CC) or major complication or comorbidity (MCC) coded in the medical record. This metric is important for a CDI program because CCs and MCCs affect the severity of illness, risk of mortality, and reimbursement of the cases under the Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) system. A higher CC/MCC capture rate indicates a more accurate and complete documentation of the patient’s condition and the resources used to treat them. A CDI program can use this metric to monitor the effectiveness of its queries, education, and feedback to the providers and coders. A CDI program can also compare its CC/MCC capture rate with national or regional benchmarks to identify areas of improvement or best practices 2.

References: 1: AHIMA CDIP Exam Prep, Fourth Edition, p. 133 3 2: The Natural History of CDI Programs: A Metric-Based Model 4

An open-ended query is a type of query that allows the provider to respond with free text, rather than choosing from a list of options or answering yes or no. An open-ended query is appropriate when the CDIP is looking for clarity on whether a diagnosis has been “ruled in” or “ruled out”, because it allows the provider to document the final diagnosis or impression based on the clinical evidence and reasoning. An open-ended query also avoids leading or suggesting a specific diagnosis to the provider, which could compromise the integrity and validity of the documentation. (Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA1)

References:

• Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice (2019 Update) - AHIMA1

According to the AHIMA CDIP Exam Preparation Guide, a modifier is a two-digit numeric or alphanumeric code that may be used in CPT and/or HCPCS codes to indicate that a service or procedure has been altered by some specific circumstance, but not changed in its definition or code1. One of the reasons to use a modifier is to indicate that a service or procedure was increased or reduced in comparison to the usual service or procedure2. For example, modifier 22 can be used to report increased procedural services that require substantially greater time, effort, or complexity than the typical service3. The other options are not correct because they do not reflect the purpose of using modifiers. A service or procedure performed in its entirety does not need a modifier, as it is assumed to be the standard service or procedure. A service or procedure resulting in expected outcomes does not affect the coding or reimbursement of the service or procedure. A service or procedure performed by one provider may need a modifier depending on the type of provider, the place of service, and the payer rules, but it is not a general reason to use a modifier. References:

• CDIP Exam Preparation Guide - AHIMA
• Modifiers: A Guide for Health Care Professionals - CMS
• CPT® Modifiers: 22 Increased Procedural Services | AAPC