Starting off with a coding credential is an excellent way to get your foot in the door of the medical coding world, but it is far from the end of the story. Many coders choose to undergo further training and earn additional credentials in order to be better prepared for specific issues. One such possibility is clinical documentation improvement training, also known as CDI training, which seeks to better the overall quality of patient documentation in order to facilitate more accurate coding down the line. Although nurses and health information professionals are the ones most commonly undergoing CDI training, specializing in this area is a great career path for coders as well.

CDI specialists perform a variety of different tasks, not the least of which is performing internal audits in order to assess the state of a practice’s claims. This is incredibly important, as waiting for an external audit can lead to fines or penalties from insurance providers if your workplace has been coding or billing incorrectly. From there, it is the duty of the CDI specialist to work with the providers, coders, and anyone else involved in order to correct the problem. This involves not only explaining any issues, but working with the rest of the staff to pinpoint the causes and work together to eliminate them.

With proper CDI training, you stand to make yourself an invaluable asset to your practice, bringing both job security and the possibility of a higher position and better pay. There has never been a better time to help your workplace, so consider looking into an introductory CDI course or a full CDI certification program if you want to learn more about the specialty. These sorts of positions are likely to grow more and more popular in the future, so consider CDI if you are looking for a new path.