Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coding and Documentation: Join Our Upcoming Webinar

Join ECLAT’s Experience The Brilliance Team on September 8th, 2021 at 1:30 PM EST/12:30 PM CST as we delve into one of this year's most heavily requested topics - Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). 

Whether you are a physician seeking educational opportunities to achieve clinical documentation best practices or you are in need of a clinical refresher on key clinical indicators typically associated with congestive heart failure, we are confident this session will bring awareness to all audience members. 

Accompanied by Guest Speaker, Manasa Ranginani, MBBS, MPH, Clinical Documentation Improvement Manager at Baptist Health South Florida, our revenue cycle experts Marie Thomas, MHA, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, CPC-H, Kara Carlisle, RHIA, and Evelyn Santos, CCS, will share a thorough overview of the direct and indirect risks associated with this prevailing chronic condition.

We understand that coding CHF is bound to spark physician queries when documentation is limited and medical terminology is not clearly defined. Sometimes a physician's clarification is required to identify the acuity of Heart Failure or of its contributing risk factors. Sometimes documentation linking back to medical evidence is sufficient to establish a CHF diagnosis. To help to distinguish the difference, we will raise foundational questions like - What is congestive heart failure (CHF)?;  What are the common clinical documentation indicators when establishing a CHF diagnosis? How can limited documentation meet medical standards along the path to achieving optimal reimbursement?

We will also walk through several Physician Query Examples and Coding Practice Case Studies followed by Audience Polls on best practices. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit any questions throughout the session for a LIVE Q&A period with our speakers at the conclusion.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) in America

• Nearly 5 million Americans¹ are currently living with congestive heart failure (CHF) and approximately 550,000 new cases of CHF are diagnosed in the US each year. 
• Congestive heart failure has the highest readmission rate among all medical and surgical readmissions, with a 26.9% overall readmission rate².
• Heart failure is responsible for 11 million physician visits each year and more hospitalizations than all forms of cancer combined.

The Cost of Care for Heart Disease

As CMS³ points out, heart conditions represent one of the most common, burdensome, and expensive health problems among the Medicare population. Congestive heart failure and heart rhythm problems are listed as two of the five leading causes for inpatient admissions of Americans aged 65 years and over.

• This high-risk demographic is especially vulnerable and their needs require the most meticulous attention. Medical coding experts must use their coding knowledge and skills to interpret clinical documentation for benchmark reporting. If the need for clarification is needed, Physician queries must be impeccably prepared to capture all necessary details about the medical encounter as accurately and efficiently as possible.
• Moreover, when hospitals and provider organizations support patients in addressing their social needs, they can avert the risk of no-shows and reduce costs associated with repeated physician office visits and emergency department use.

As we continue to learn more about preventative measures for CHF, it is vital to recognize that it is a serious condition that warrants access to life-long management of care. While the most common contributing health factors to CHF are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, patients who experience the adverse effects of SDoH multiply the risk factors exacerbating repeated hospital readmissions and mortality. 

To learn more about Social Determinants of Health in 2021: Healthcare Considerations for the Most Vulnerable, check out our past Experience The Brilliance webinar here.

Why You Should Join the LIVE Webinar

As an end-to-end revenue cycle management partner to some of the most prestigious hospitals, healthcare systems, and physician practices in America, ECLAT has gained a wealth of knowledge that we are privileged to share with our HIM peers.

Additionally, attendees can:

• Obtain AHIMA credits - All LIVE attendees are eligible to earn 1.00 CEU AHIMA credit. Though a webinar replay will be available to all those who register, CEU credits will be inapplicable once the webinar is available to view on-demand.
• No-Cost Education- Gain clinical and technical insight into CHF, its documentation, and coding at no extra cost.
• Practical knowledge -  Acquire practical CHF documentation and coding knowledge with real coding case studies and get your questions answered by our team of experts.

References:

1. Heart Failure Statistics | Emory Healthcare
2. Reducing All-cause 30-day Hospital Readmissions for Patients Presenting with Acute Heart Failure Exacerbations: A Quality Improvement Initiative
3. Prevalence and Health Care Expenditures among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65 Years and Over with Heart Conditions | CMS