Crafting Clarity: Enhancing Clinical Documentation for Improved Pediatric Care

Monday, April 28, 2025

9:15am – 10:45am HST

Location: Convention Center: 325

CE: 1.5

Leader(s)

Walter Wickremasinghe, MD, MBA (he/him/his)

Clinical Instructor
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Co-Leader(s)

Alexandra Falsey, MD (she/her/hers)

Clinical Fellow, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Boston Children's Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Amy Sanderson, MD

Assistant Professor in Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Ara Balkian, MD, MBA

Chief Medical Director, Inpatient Operations
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Lucinda Lo, MD

Physician Advisor CDI & CM
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
MEDIA, Pennsylvania, United States
Sheilah Snyder, MD (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor, Dept of Pediatrics UNMC
Children's Nebraska, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Wendy Arafiles, MD, FAAP (she/her/hers)

Assistant Clinical Professor
Phoenix Children's
Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Disclosure(s):

Walter Wickremasinghe, MD, MBA: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Alexandra M. Falsey, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Amy Sanderson, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Ara Balkian, MD, MBA: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Lucinda Lo, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Sheilah Snyder, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Wendy Arafiles, MD, FAAP: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Workshop Description: In the dynamic and multidisciplinary world of pediatrics, accurate clinical documentation is essential for conveying the complexity of patient care and ensuring appropriate diagnosis coding, reimbursement, and quality metrics. However, many pediatricians find that traditional medical training does not fully prepare them for the nuances of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI). This workshop is designed to bridge that gap by providing pediatricians across all roles with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in clinical documentation.

This interactive session will engage participants in real-time case studies, group discussions, and practical exercises tailored to the pediatric setting. Attendees will explore how CDI impacts Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) assignments, Case Mix Index (CMI), length of stay, facility reimbursement, and research database accuracy, all within the context of pediatric care. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped to integrate CDI practices into their daily workflow, leading to a complete picture of the patient complexity, supporting treatment plans, validating the appropriate length of stay, and securing the appropriate reimbursement of services.

Learning Objectives:

Understand CDI and Its Impact: Describe the principles of Clinical Documentation Integrity and how it influences DRG assignments, Case Mix Index, length of stay, facility reimbursement, database accuracy, and professional coding/billing in the pediatric setting.
Differentiate Payment Models: Explain the differences between healthcare payment models, including Fee-for-Service, Bundled Payment/DRG, and Capitation, and how they rely on documentation for quality and financial metrics in pediatrics.
Apply CDI in Practice: Incorporate CDI concepts into daily pediatric practice to improve documentation accuracy, patient care, and financial outcomes.