Primary Care Coding Alert

2011 edition brings more specificity for ADD and retained fragments.The 2011 ICD-9 codes going into effect Oct. 1 have a few welcome additions for your younger patients. Read on for examples of new diagnoses you could find yourself reporting on a regular basis.Attention Deficit Options Give a Better Starting Point ICD-9 2011 adds the 799.5x family to the "Ill Defined and Unknown Causes of Morbidity and Mortality" section. New codes include:799.51 -- Attention or concentration deficit799.52 -- Cognitive communication deficit799.53 -- Visuospatial deficit799.54 -- Psychomotor deficit799.55 -- Frontal lobe and executive function deficit799.59 -- Other signs and symptoms involving cognition."This new series will be useful for symptoms and signs as a diagnosis before the physician establishes a definitive diagnosis," says Richard L. Tuck, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician at PrimeCare of Southeastern Ohio in Zanesville. "Physicians see children with concerns regarding attention or activity. You don't have enough information after the first visit for an official diagnosis, [...]