“Improving Accuracy in HCC Coding Through Clinician Engagement.”
September 2026
PLJ
Rachel Rodriguez, MD, FAAFP, Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at CU Anschutz and Jennifer Corliss, MD, FAAFP, Medical Director of Lone Tree Primary Care and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at CU Anschutz are co-authors of a recent article published in the Physician Leadership Journal (PLJ) titled, "Improving Accuracy in HCC Coding Through Clinician Engagement."
When asked to share how this study will improve operations at Lone Tree Primary Care and benefit patients, Dr. Rodriguez said, “This publication showcases how a clinician-led initiative at UCHealth Lone Tree Primary Care improved HCC coding accuracy through education, engagement, and performance feedback, helping better reflect patient complexity and support high-quality, value-based care.”
From the article:
“This project aimed to sustainably improve the accuracy and consistency of annual Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) documentation through enhanced clinician engagement. All clinicians in an academic primary care practice received one-on-one education on value-based care (VBC), Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) scores, HCC coding, and problem‑list hygiene. Clinicians were encouraged to assess HCCs during visits or scheduled follow-ups to close all annual HCC gaps. Regular leaderboard‑style performance reports with named rankings were distributed. While educational sessions were required, documentation changes remained voluntary. Nonmonetary incentives were offered to top performers. HCC performance was tracked using electronic health record‑based analytics across two annual measurement periods. Transparent education, respect for clinician autonomy, nonpunitive competition, and meaningful nonmonetary incentives motivated clinicians to devote dedicated attention to HCC coding. Sustained year‑two improvement strengthened RAF score fidelity and supported reinvestment in team‑based care. The intervention helped shift the culture toward viewing HCC review, chronic condition management, problem‑list hygiene, and accurate documentation as essential to representing patient complexity and securing resources for high‑quality primary care.”
Read more of this article.