According to a study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers studying emergency department (ED) visits found that electronic sepsis alert implementation increased ED sepsis detection from 83% to 96%.
In June, CMS released the 2018 ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting which include various revisions from the 2017 guidelines. These changes come on the heels of the 2018 IPPS proposed rule and recently released ICD-10-PCS codes.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, writes that while you might have thought you’ve finally mastered coding compliance with DRGs and quality measures, now it is time to learn the compliance risks and opportunities with a new risk-adjustment method: Hierarchical Condition Categories.
Q: At my institution, all of our congestive heart failure exacerbations get at least one chest x-ray. Is that enough “diagnostic testing” to code the secondary condition in accordance to Coding Clinic ?
Daniel E. Catalano, MD, FACOG, says that from the CDI perspective, the ability to communicate pediatric severity of illness is complicated by the fact that pediatricians have a lexicon that is not well captured in ICD-10-CM. This, he writes, is especially true for pediatric cardiology.
Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, FACHE, FHFMA, CHPS , explains that as a coding manager, whether your inpatient team is on-site, off-site, or remote, creating the appropriate environment and selecting proper locations are key to any successful team. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Beginning and sustaining a remote CDI program can be a challenge for even seasoned professionals. Traditionally, CDI specialists put in varying amounts of face-to-face time with the physicians. Ideally, that in-person interaction makes the physicians more open to CDI efforts. However, many remote CDI programs and individual specialists have found creative ways around this face-to-face time.
On June 13, CMS released the final 2018 ICD-10-PCS codes that will become effective October 1. These changes come on the heels of April’s IPPS proposed rule.
Laura Legg, RHIT, CCS, CDIP, writes that coders will benefit from digging deeper into the meanings of the new fiscal year 2018 ICD-10-PCS cardiovascular code descriptions to be able to fully comprehend and use them.
Q: I can't distinguish between "code first" and "in diseases classified elsewhere.” Both are used with manifestations and both can't be sequenced as principal diagnosis and both need etiology codes, so what is the difference?
Peggy S. Blue, MPH, CPC, CCS-P, CEMC , takes a look at scleroderma diagnoses and helps coders to breakdown the disease components and treatment to better identify it in documentation and improve coding. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS, reviews 2017 First and Second Quarter Coding Clinic advice, which includes sequencing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with other respiratory diagnoses and body mass index reporting instructions.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP , writes that if a payer has criteria that differs from that of the provider or the facility, Recovery Auditors can deny ICD-10-CM/PCS codes they deem not to fit these criteria. Kennedy gives solutions for coding compliance for conditions such as sepsis, coma, and encephalopathy.
In today’s virtual environment, with its focus on flexible schedules, organizing an inpatient coding team requires consideration of time zones, team member skills, volume of work, and claim-processing schedules. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
A recent study piloted by CHEST Journal found that surveillance-based clinical data, such as electronic health records, offered more reliable estimates of septic shock trends than coded records.
Q: We use an electronic system at our hospital, and find it is difficult to query a physician since we all have our own processes. Would you recommend having a set format for a query that is used electronically?
On April 14, CMS released the fiscal year 2018 IPPS proposed rule, which included a proposal for the discontinuation of the CardioMEMS heart failure monitoring system add-on payment.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, helps coders and CDI specialists process important aspects of Coding Clinic’s First Quarter 2017 guidance such as the sequencing of pneumonia in the setting of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP, writes about how understanding the different forms of viral hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis, as well as their effects on the liver, help to clarify coding assignment. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
