# HbA1c testing and appropriate diagnosis code



## pattykf (Jun 8, 2012)

this may be a bit complicated but here goes.
We have an electronic health record that we have codes mapped to tests to eliminate medical assistance staff from needing to do that matching. I am trying to find a code that would be appropriate for testing that would not be incorrect for the patient.
example: patient gets tested and the result it high, the code should be uncontrolled dm, but that would mean the medical assistant would need to choose a dx (out of scope of work?), the programers had put in 790.29 which seemed to be ok but now we are doing extensive work with prediabetic patients and that is the code that gets associated with prediabetics so to identify the prediabetics it would be essential to cross match patients to determine if they were coded with 790.29 because of the test or becasue they are truely prediabetic.  any ideas so to a good code to use that might be more "univeral" would be really helpful. I am thinking that we will need to have the result dictate the dx code but your feedback would be helpful.
thank you


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## mitchellde (Jun 8, 2012)

you cannot code from a lab test result that has not been interpreted by the physician.  You will need to code the reason for the test , that will be either symptoms or screening. just because a result is high does not mean the have uncontrolled dm.


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