By Brian Murphy

Sepsis is deadly, prevalent, and expensive to treat, and therefore capturing it in documentation and coded data among the highest priorities of mid-revenue cycle professionals.

It’s also one of the most difficult diagnoses to capture and the most at-risk, prone to denials and regulatory scrutiny. And there are two definitions with key variations which remain a source of intense debate.

On top all this there’s a lot going on from a regulatory perspective. New coding proposals in front of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Recent inclusion in CMS’ Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). Long-awaited audit results from an item on sepsis billing in the OIG’s Work Plan.

It’s kind of a mess to be honest, and hospitals are left in a bind.

So, where are we with sepsis? Read the report and find out. I even offer my own recommended six-point plan, which is purely my own opinion and not that of my employer.