Radiology Coding Alert

Lung Scan Responsibilities:

More Than Meets the Eye

The clinical vignette in the CPT Assistant (March 1999) portraying proper use of 78588 indicates the service includes the following physician responsibilities:

" Reviewing clinical history, current chest x-rays, and other relevant images

" Ordering radiopharmaceuticals

" Assuring imaging is complete before allowing patient to leave imaging area

" Correlating the imaging and clinical data

" Dictating, reviewing, and signing the report

" Explaining results to the patient and the referring physician.