Coding and documentation are essential skills for physicians, but they can also be challenging and time-consuming. How can you engage your physicians in ongoing education and training to improve their coding and documentation accuracy, compliance, and efficiency? Here are some strategies to consider.
The first step is to assess the current state of coding and documentation practices among your physicians. You can use various methods, such as audits, surveys, feedback, reports, or benchmarks, to identify the areas of strength and weakness, the common errors or issues, and the specific needs and preferences of your physicians. Based on the assessment, you can prioritize the topics and formats of education and training that will address the most urgent and relevant gaps.
In my experience telling the physicians that there was a missed revenue opportunity due to insufficient coding has a larger impact.
The second step is to customize the content and delivery of education and training to suit your physicians' needs and preferences. You can use different formats, such as webinars, workshops, newsletters, podcasts, or case studies, to provide interactive and engaging learning opportunities. You can also tailor the content to focus on the specialties, diagnoses, procedures, or scenarios that are most relevant to your physicians. You can also use examples from your own data or charts to illustrate the best practices and common pitfalls of coding and documentation.
The third step is to involve the champions and peers of your physicians in the education and training process. You can identify and recruit the physicians who have demonstrated expertise, interest, or leadership in coding and documentation to serve as champions, mentors, or facilitators. You can also encourage peer-to-peer learning and feedback among your physicians, such as through discussions, reviews, or consultations. By involving the champions and peers, you can foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
The fourth step is to align the incentives and expectations of your physicians with the education and training goals. You can communicate the benefits and value of coding and documentation for your physicians, such as improving patient care, quality, revenue, compliance, or satisfaction. You can also provide recognition, rewards, or feedback for your physicians who participate in or excel at coding and documentation education and training. You can also set clear and realistic expectations and standards for your physicians to follow and monitor their performance and progress.
Showing providers why it's important to code and document appropriately is key. We have minimal education in training. In practice, our reimbursements are tied to proper coding. Poor coding can mean a significant loss of income for providers' practices.
From my perspective, the most effective encouragement is financial. All payments are tied to coding which is tied to documentation. Showing providers just how much more they could earn by properly and efficiently documenting should incentivize them to want to learn.
The fifth step is to evaluate the outcomes and impact of your education and training efforts. You can use various measures, such as accuracy, productivity, compliance, revenue, quality, or satisfaction, to assess the changes and improvements in coding and documentation practices among your physicians. You can also solicit feedback from your physicians on the effectiveness, relevance, and satisfaction of the education and training activities. Based on the evaluation, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your education and training program and make adjustments or enhancements as needed.
The sixth step is to update and refresh the knowledge and skills of your physicians on coding and documentation. You can provide ongoing or periodic education and training to keep your physicians informed of the latest changes, updates, or trends in coding and documentation rules, guidelines, or standards. You can also reinforce or review the key concepts, principles, or tips on coding and documentation to maintain or enhance your physicians' competence and confidence. By updating and refreshing the knowledge and skills, you can ensure that your physicians are always prepared and proficient in coding and documentation.