Outsourced coding and Clinical Documentation Improvement initiatives indicate signs of tripling in the number of hospitals contracting for external CDI services help before the October 1, 2015 deadline, according to the recently published Black Book™ survey of 650 hospital technology and physician leaders, found in the reports “Top Ranked Clinical Documentation Improvement Vendors”.
24 percent of hospitals now outsource Clinical documentation audit, review and programming. By Q3 2015, 71 percent of hospitals plan on having a CDI services partner help them adjust and survive under the new codes.
“There is no greater opportunity on the providers’ horizon to maximize financial viability than to improve the accuracy of provider clinical documentation,” said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book™.
88 percent of 200+ bed hospitals outsourcing CDI currently report to have realized significant (over $1M) gains in appropriate revenue and proper reimbursements following the implementation of clinical documentation improvement program yet before ICD-10. Additionally 83 percent confirm quality improvements and increases in the case mix index.
28 percent of hospitals presently outsourcing coding and CDI are contemplating a switch to second generation CDI vendors as physician practice acquisitions and EHR implementations have threatened the sustainability or effectiveness of their current CDI programming.
Nuance Communications ranked with the highest client experience and customer satisfaction scores on eighteen key performance indicators among currently implemented end-to-end CDI clients. Other top scoring vendors included 3M, Optum, The Advisory Board, Navigant, Chartwise Medical, Precyse and DCBA.
Transcription services, already outsourced by 63 percent of hospitals is also expected to grow to over 70 percent of providers as the ICD-10 deadline approaches. The top ranked vendor in client experience and satisfaction of outsourced transcription services is Precyse.
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