Comprehensive Guide to Evaluation and Management Coding for Medical Services
This chapter delves into the intricacies of Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding, emphasizing the importance of coding strictly based on documented medical records. It differentiates between optimizing and maximizing billing, highlighting the ethical implications of coding services that were not rendered. The chapter covers various types of services, including office visits, consultations, and hospital services, along with the classifications of patients (new, established, inpatient, outpatient). Additionally, it elucidates the key components and contributory factors necessary for accurate E/M coding.
Comprehensive Guide to Evaluation and Management Coding for Medical Services
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Presentation Transcript
CHAPTER 2 EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT (E/M) SECTION
Coding for Services • Your job is to code what is documented within medical record
Your Job • Optimize—never maximize • Optimize = “get the most out of” • Maximize = “to increase or make as great as possible” • Accurately report documented services
A Crime! • Coding for services not provided is a CRIME • Fraud: Billing for services never rendered
Chapter 2 Covers • E/M (Evaluation and Management) section • Reports physician services (Cont’d…)
Chapter 2 Covers (…Cont’d) • Subsections by type of service • Types of service: • Office • Hospital • Consultations
Three Factors of E/M Codes • Place of service • Type of service • Patient status
Place of Service • Explains setting of service: • Office • Emergency Department • Nursing Home, etc.
Type of Service • Physicians provide many types of services: • Office visits • Admissions • Consultations • Prolonged Services
Patient Status • Four status types: • New patient • Established patient • Outpatient • Inpatient
New Patient • Has not received any face-to-face service in last 3 years from: • The same physician • From another physician of the samespecialty and in same group • New patients more labor intensive for physician and staff
Established Patient • Has received face-to-face services in last 3 years from: • The same physician or • Another physician of same specialty in same group • Medical recordavailable with current, relevant information
Outpatient • One who has not been admitted to a health care facility • Example: Patient receives service at clinic or same-day surgery center • Example: Patient admitted to “observation” status
Inpatient • One who has been formally admitted to a health care facility (i.e., hospital, nursing facility, etc.) • Attending physician dictates: • Admission orders • H & P • Requests consultations
Levels of E/M Service Based On • Nature of the presenting problem (foundation) • Skill required to provide service • Time spent (if 50% of total time is counseling or coordination of care) • Level of knowledge necessary to treat patient • Effortrequired/assumed • Responsibility required
E/M Levels Are Divided Based On • Key Components (KC) • Contributory Factors (CF) • Every encounter contains varying amount of KC and CF
Encounters • More of each component/factor • Higher level of service • Less of each component/factor • Lower level of service
Key Components • History • Examination • Medical decision making
Contributory Factors • Counseling • Coordination of care • Nature of presenting problem
Four Elements of a History • Chief Complaint(CC) • History of Present Illness (HPI) • Review of Systems (ROS) • Past, Family, and/or Social History(PFSH)
Chief Complaint (CC)—Subjective • Reason for encounter • Patient’s current complaint • Usually presented in patient’s own words • Documented in medical record for each encounter • Required for all levels of service • May not be stated as “CC” but is inferred from documentation
History of Present Illness (HPI)—Subjective • Description of development of current illness • e.g., date of onset • Patient describes HPI • If patient cannot answer for themselves, a parent, guardian, or other may provide • Eight elements in HPI • Provider must document
Physician and Patient Dialogue • Development of a CC of abdominal pain: • “Started Thursday night and was mild. During night, it got worse. Friday morning I went to work, but had to leave because pain got so bad.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Location—specific location of pain • “Pain was in lower left-hand side, a little toward back.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Quality—Is pain sharp, dull, pressure, burning? (a sensation) • “Pain is really sharp and constant.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Severity—Is pain intense, moderate, mild? • On a scale of 1-10 may be stated • “Pain is terrible, worst pain I have ever had.” (intense) (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Duration—How long has pain been present? • “Pain has been going on now for 3 days.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Timing—Is pain present all the time, or does it come and go? • “Pain just continues. It just doesn’t go away.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Context—When does it hurt most?—Is there a correlation to a specific activity (ex., climbing stairs)? • “Pain is just there; it doesn’t matter what I am doing.” (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Modifyfactors—Does anything make it better or worse? • “Nothing I do makes it any better or any worse.” • Aspirin taken, no relief. (Cont’d…)
Physician and Patient Dialogue (…Cont’d) • Associated signs and systemsrelating to presenting problem(s)—Does anything else feel different when pain is present? • “Yes, I have nausea when pain is worst.” (Cont’d…)
Review of Systems (ROS)—Subjective • Body areas • Back, arm, leg • Organ systems • Respiratory system • Cardiovascular system • There are 14 elements in ROS
Extent of ROS depends on CC • Example: Do not usually review musculoskeletal system for CC of chest pain • Example: A patient who has sustained trauma from an auto accident and cannot discern difference • Medical necessity for the number of OSs inventoried must be implied or documented
Systems in ROS • Constitutional—General, Fever, Weight Loss or Gain • Eyes—Organ System (OS) • Ears, Nose, Mouth, Throat (OS) • Cardiovascular (OS) (Cont’d…)
Systems in ROS (…Cont’d) • Respiratory (OS) • Gastrointestinal (OS) • Genitourinary (OS) • Musculoskeletal (OS) • Integumentary (OS) (Cont’d…)
Systems of ROS (…Cont’d) • Neurologic (OS) • Psychiatric (OS) • Endocrine (OS) • Hematologic/Lymphatic (OS) • Allergic/Immunologic (OS)
Past, Family, and/or Social History (PFSH) • Past and Social History contains relevant information about past: • Major illnesses/injuries • Operations • Hospitalizations • Allergies • Immunizations • Dietary status (Cont’d…)
Past and Social History (…Cont’d) • Social history contains relevant information about: • Sexual history • Other relevant social factors (Example: Employment) • Past-present medications • Social tobacco/alcohol use
Family History • Health status of family members: • Parents • Siblings • Children • Family history items related toCC
History Levels Four history levels: • Problem focused • Expanded problem focused • Detailed • Comprehensive
Problem Focused History • Brief history focused on CC • Brief HPI • No ROS • No PFSH
Expanded Problem Focused History • Brief history focused on CC • Brief HPI • Less than 3 of 8 elements or 1-2 chronic problems • ROS as it pertains to Presenting Problem • No PFSH
Detailed History • Extended history • Extended HPI • HPI: • 4 or more of 8 elements • 3 or more chronic conditions • Extended ROS • Pertinent PFSH
Comprehensive History • Extended history • Extended HPI • Comprehensive ROS • Complete PFSH
Summary of Elements Required for Each Level of History Figure: 2.4
Examination—Objective (Hands-on) • Four levels of examination: • ProblemFocused • ExpandedProblem Focused • Detailed • Comprehensive
Problem Focused Examination • Affected body area and/or organ system • 10 Body areas (1995 Guidelines) • 12 Organ systems (1995 Guidelines)
Expanded Problem Focused Examination • Affected body area and/or organ system • Other related body area(s) and/or organ system(s) • Often vitals or general appearance of patient
Detailed Examination • Extendedexamination of affected body area(s) and/or related organ system(s)
Comprehensive Examination • Complete single specialty or complete multisystem examination