MDS Alert

Question: What can a facility do if a physician’s signature is illegible?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: You can send a signature log or attestation statement to support the identity of an illegible signature, according to NGS’ Lori Langevin in a recent webinar on signature requirements.

Definition: “A signature log is a typed listing of the provider or providers identifying their name with a corresponding handwritten signature,” relates NGS’ Gail O’Leary. You must also include the credentials associated with the initials or the illegible signature, O’Leary adds.

Don’t miss: You may include the signature log on the same page where the initial or illegible signature is located or in a separate document, O’Leary says. Just make sure that the signature log is a part of the patient’s medical record.

Attestation statement: You can also submit an attestation statement if the provider’s signature is illegible. For Medicare to consider an attestation statement valid, the author of the medical record entry must sign and date the statement, O’Leary explains. The statement must also include the appropriate patient information.