Two authors talk shop on CDI, physician advisors … and heavy metal

Listen to the podcast here.

Trey LaCharite has seen it all during his time as physician advisor. The debut of ICD-10. The growth of value-based care and CMS pay for performance initiatives. And the rise of EHRs and the dreaded RACs.  

For more than a decade he’s brought that distilled wisdom to the ACDIS national pre-conference, teaching a popular seminar for physician advisors. And now he’s authored a new book from HCPro/AHIMA, The Physician Advisor’s Guide to Clinical Documentation Integrity, third edition. 

So yeah, Trey’s seen a lot.  

He’s also seen a lot of heavy metal concerts. Which is where I come in. 

As Trey was pouring his heart and soul and wisdom into his new book I was pouring myself into a book of my own: Growing Up Metal: The Story Of A Fan Who (Kind Of) Rocked. Now available on Amazon. 

This unlikely union of metalheads talk all things physician advisors, CDI, and heavy metal, as well as the trials and travails of writing, on what is a very out of the box episode of Off the Record. Listen in as we cover: 

• Trey and his current multi-hat role as physician advisor for the University of Tennessee Medical Center. 

• The Physician Advisor’s Guide to Clinical Documentation Integrity, Third Edition … What’s in the book and what’s new? Heavy rewrites from prior editions and a new focus on practicality. 

• Trey’s favorite section on sepsis, and how his organization is navigating the minefield of sepsis-2 vs. sepsis-3. 

• Trey’s process of writing… “pantser” over “plotter,” and how he tackled the book with his own writing and voice (no AI, thank the lord) 

• Working with a pair of terrific contributors—Dr. Nicole Fox and Dr. Deepa Velayadikot 

• Documentation in the age of AI—is writing notes still important, either to a physician’s thought process or the practice of care? Trey’s thought on the state of technology as useful tool vs. potential loss of autonomy. 

• What has changed most over the years in the role of the PA: Biggest difference in job responsibilities of a PA circa 2008 and today 

• Talking metal: Growing Up Metal questions and general metal banter, concert stories, favorite bands, and more