CHICAGO – April 7, 2021 – The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and 3M Health Information Systems recently convened an expert panel of clinicians and clinical documentation integrity (CDI) professionals to explore how technology can improve CDI. The resulting white paper, Elevating Clinical Documentation Integrity with Compliant Technology Adoption, focuses on how healthcare systems can use technology to achieve data integrity and compliance, enhance workflows, and improve value-based care models.

“When CDI is done well, it can lead to better patient care and reduced burden on physicians,” said AHIMA President Katherine Lusk, MHSM, RHIA, FAHIMA. “Artificial intelligence-supported technologies like computer-assisted physician documentation are game changers for patients and providers alike, taking time-consuming work and processes and creating actionable information that can lead to improved health outcomes.”

Some of the white paper’s key findings about computer-assisted physician documentation (CAPD):

• It removes some administrative burden from physicians, allowing them to spend more time with patients.
• It improves patient care because it can help ensure accurate, complete, and actionable data.
• It can have a positive impact on billing processes, leading to fewer headaches for both health systems and patients.

 "CAPD not only streamlines the physician's documentation workflow and makes it more efficient, it puts the focus back on patient-centered care for the provider,” said Shirlivia Parker, MHA, RHIA, CDIP, CDI Unit Manager for UC Davis Medical Center.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies make computer-assisted physician documentation possible by delivering clinical insights to physicians within their clinical workflow. “CDI programs supported by AI are able to deliver more complete and accurate data to providers in real-time, which helps close gaps in clinical documentation and care delivery,” said Elizabeth Guyton, Vice President, 3M Health Information Systems. “With CAPD, physicians have more time to focus on patient care.”

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About AHIMA
AHIMA is a global nonprofit association of health information (HI) professionals. AHIMA represents professionals who work with health data for more than one billion patient visits each year. AHIMA’s mission of empowering people to impact health drives our members and credentialed HI professionals to ensure that health information is accurate, complete, and available to patients and providers. Our leaders work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business, and are found in data integrity and information privacy job functions worldwide. AHIMA.org.

About 3M
At 3M (NYSE: MMM) we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.