Use Microsoft Copilot to Automate CDI Metrics Reports

What This Does

Copilot in Excel analyzes your CDI data exports and generates summary tables, formulas, and charts, turning a raw data dump from your CDI software into a management-ready metrics report without manually building pivot tables.

Before You Start

• You have Microsoft Excel open with your CDI data exported from your CDI software (3M, Iodine, Nuance)
• Your organization has Microsoft 365 with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Copilot requires this)
• The Copilot icon appears in the lower-right corner of your Excel window

Steps

1. Open your CDI data in Excel

Export your monthly CDI activity data from your CDI software; it typically includes: physician, query date, query type, response date, DRG before/after, financial impact. Open the file in Excel and make sure it has clear headers in row 1 and one row per query. A formatted table is no longer required; clean, descriptive headers are what Copilot reads.

2. Activate Copilot

Click the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of the Excel window; Microsoft moved it off the Home ribbon in 2026. Press F6 to jump to it, or right-click the corner button and choose Move to ribbon if you prefer the old placement. A sidebar opens on the right side of your screen. If you don't see the icon at all, your organization may not have Copilot enabled, check with your IT department.

3. Request your summary analysis

In the Copilot chat sidebar, type your request in plain English:

• "Create a pivot table showing total queries by physician service, average response time in days, and query response rate"
• "Show me a chart of query volume by week for this month"
• "Which physician services have the lowest query response rates?"

4. Review and insert the output

Copilot will generate the formula, pivot table, or chart and show you a preview. Click Add to sheet to insert it into your workbook. You can ask follow-up questions to refine it: "Sort by lowest response rate first."

What you should see: A clean pivot table or chart appearing in a new sheet, with data correctly grouped by physician service. Troubleshooting: If Copilot misidentifies columns, tell it the exact column names: "The physician service is in column C, not column B."

Real Example

Scenario: You need to present Q1 CDI metrics to hospital leadership by end of week and have 3,200 rows of query data exported from Iodine.

What you type: "Summarize Q1 CDI data by physician department showing: total queries sent, response rate percentage, average DRG weight shift, and estimated financial impact. Sort by highest financial impact."

What you get: A formatted summary table with one row per department, all calculations done automatically, ready to copy into your PowerPoint.

Tips

• Export your CDI data with consistent column headers every month so Copilot can recognize the structure immediately
• Save the resulting workbook as your monthly report template; next month, replace the data and ask Copilot to refresh the analysis
• Ask "What trends do you notice in this data?" for a plain-English narrative summary you can use in your management update email

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