Lessons Learned: How a Definition Defines Sepsis Outcomes

Presented on: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 | 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern

Presented by: Alexis Wells, MSN, RN, LSSYB, CCDS, and Stacia Gandee, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, LSSYB

Sepsis is a complex condition that significantly impacts everything from quality measures to reimbursement—and the focus on this diagnosis continues to grow. During this 60-minute webinar, Alexis Wells, MSN, RN, LSSYB, CCDS, and Stacia Gandee, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, LSSYB, will discuss the struggle with defining sepsis at an organization and how a definition can impact quality measures and public reporting of outcomes.

Join them for a thorough discussion of strategies identified during their journey and learn how you can play a role in defining sepsis at your organization.

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

• List the three definitions of sepsis
• Discuss steps organizations can take to create a sepsis definition
• Describe how the speakers improved their organization’s approach to sepsis

Agenda

• Differing definitions of sepsis
• Review of Sepsis 2, 2.5, and 3
• What are organizations doing regarding sepsis criteria?
• Comparatively (between organizations)
• Internally (between departments within an organization)
• Practical applications
• Ways to create a balance for managing denials
• Key components for creating a viable definition of sepsis:
• Safety grades
• Denial rates
• Standard of practice
• Champions

• Data is power: How to improve CDI institutions and their approach to sepsis

Who Should Listen?

• CDI directors and managers
• CDI staff
• HIM/coding directors and managers
• Coding staff
• Revenue integrity directors and managers
• Revenue integrity staff
• Denials and appeals staff
• Quality professionals.

Meet the Speakers

Alexis Wells, MSN, RN, LSSYB, CCDS, is a quality educator at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas. She has been a registered nurse since 2008, working in areas including critical care, telemetry, bone marrow transplants, and home hospice. In 2015, she became a clinical documentation specialist, and in 2018, she took on a role as CDI quality assurance auditor. In December 2021, she transitioned to a new role as a quality educator, providing education across the hospital on topics related to quality performance and patient outcomes. She currently serves on the local and community sepsis committee and is a strong advocate for “making it easy to do the right thing” in CDI practices.

Stacia Gandee, RHIA, CCS, CDIP, LSSYB, is a CDI manager at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas. She has been a clinical documentation specialist (CDS) since February 2017 and was quickly promoted to the specialized role of clinical validation CDS in 2019. In 2020, she transitioned to a managerial role. Prior to CDI, she worked as a coder as well as a contract coding consultant. She is currently a member of the sepsis committee and has attended national conferences to ensure her CDI program is optimizing its impact in patient care, documentation, and sepsis coding.

Continuing Education

Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS)
This program has been approved for 1 continuing education units towards fulfilling the requirements of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist certification, offered as a service of the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS).

Ability to claim this credits expires: 6/27/24

AHIMA
This program has been approved for 1 continuing education unit(s) (CEUs) for use in fulfilling the continuing education requirements of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Granting of Approved CEUs from AHIMA does not constitute endorsement of the program content or its program provider.

Ability to claim credits for this webinar expires on: 6/26/23

National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity (NAHRI)
This program has been approved for 1 continuing education units towards fulfilling the requirements of the Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI), offered as a service of the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity (NAHRI). 

Ability to claim this credits expires: 6/27/24 

American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC)
HCPro is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

1 contact hours for nurses are available for this activity.

Ability to claim this credits expires: 6/27/24

Instructions

Webinar system requirements and program materials: 
To fully benefit from the webinar experience, please note you will need a computer equipped with the following:

Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer or Edge, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari, with JavaScript enabled 
Internet: Internet connection (high-speed connection recommended) 
Streaming: Access audio/video streaming from any browser on a computer, mobile, or tablet device

Prior to the webinar, you will receive an email with detailed system requirements, your login information, presentation slides, and other materials that you can print and distribute to all attendees at your location. 

CAN'T LISTEN LIVE? 
No problem. The On-Demand version will be available. Use it as a training tool at your convenience—whenever your new or existing staff need a refresher or need to understand a new concept. Play it once or dozens of times. A $229 value! 

PLEASE NOTE 
Participation in the webinar is just $229 per site. All materials must be retrieved from the Internet.

Call your customer service representative toll-free 800-650-6787 or email customerservice@hcpro.com if you have questions.