Before starting an ambulatory or outpatient clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program, those tasked with the project must first create some universal definitions, so everyone is on the same page and speaking the same language.
Q: Suppose a patient comes in for psychological testing evaluation. The provider interprets the test results and patient data, prepares a report, and begins treatment planning. If the interactive feedback session is held several days later, how would this be reported using CPT codes?
Trey La Charité, MD, FACP, SFHM, CCS, CCDS , explains why physicians may feel that coding and CDI professionals are asking too much and offers potential solutions to ease workplace tensions.
Sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) have historically been difficult to report due to changing terminology and continuous updates to ICD-10-CM coding guidelines. Review clinical terminology and complex guidelines to select the most specific codes for both conditions.
Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, CCDS , describes key takeaways from Coding Clinic , Second Quarter 2019, including helpful advice on well-known coding challenges and their impact on severity and DRG assignment.
A retrospective billing study conducted by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, showed that pre-existing psychiatric comorbidities independently predicted elevated healthcare costs for a large population of patients treated with radiation at the institution.
Medicare appropriate use criteria (AUC) requirements, currently in a voluntary testing period, will become mandatory starting January 1, 2020. Denise Williams, COC, CHRI , shares insight and analysis on AUC reporting requirements to help facilities prepare for what’s to come.
The ICD-10-CM Manual lists hundreds of code options for mental disorders with unique characters to specify symptoms and complications. This article breaks down outpatient coding for commonly reported mental health conditions, psychiatric assessments, and psychotherapy. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
