title: Documentation staff can alleviate CM duties.
abstract: Hospitals need a separate, dedicated clinical documentation staff to fill in the gap between what is documented in the chart and what is coded. Case managers have too many other duties to take on this complex task. Candidates should be able to work independently, have good communication skills, good rapport with doctors. They need to have clinical credibility and understand the MS-DRG system, public reporting, and ICD-9 codes. Staff needs extensive training, preferably by an outside consultant.
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D059019:Clinical Coding / Q000592:standards*; D013038:Specialization; D014481:United States