Tip of the week: Prepare physicians for detailed documentation requirements in 2009 by opening the lines of communication now
HIM Connection, August 26, 2008
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There are several new codes that will take effect October 1 that will require physicians to provide much more detailed documentation that perhaps what they are used to. To ensure that physicians and coders are on the same page, consider inviting a physician (e.g., surgeon, cardiologist, or cardiothoracic surgeon) to a lunch meeting with your coders, and provide the physician in advance with a list of clinical or anatomy questions, for example. This gives coders a chance to ask about procedures they might find difficult to code or to address aspects of that particular physician’s documentation practices that they find confusing.
Editor’s note: This tip was adapted from the August issue of Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies. For more information, visit www.hcpro.com/content/215962.cfm.
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