Wiki Are there moderators for this forum?

[kahnw]

There are so many question on the student forum, some going back a month or more, that are not being answered…is there nobody responsible for assisting students? These are legit learning questions that we are looking for help!

 

[sls314]

There are so many question on the student forum, some going back a month or more, that are not being answered…is there nobody responsible for assisting students? These are legit learning questions that we are looking for help!

There are moderators on the forum, but as with any internet forum, the role of a moderator is to address any rule violations, not to answer specific coding-related questions.

This is a user-based forum. Members ask questions or share information, and other members answer as they can. In that way, it's similar to other forums like Facebook or Reddit, where posters answer questions from other posters. What's different about this forum is that only AAPC members can post here. If you get a response from someone, you know the answer is from an AAPC member.

As with any internet forum, the best way to maximize the chances of getting an answer is to give a clear, concise title and post in the relevant subforum.

Members are going to be most comfortable answering questions that are within the scope of their knowledge base. If a title doesn't clearly convey that, it might not be read by a member who has the relevant expertise to answer the question. (Also, of course, the members who regularly frequent the forum have other things going on, too - they might not stop in every day and might occasionally miss a post even if it has a clear title.)

For example, I'm not a cardiology coder, so I'd rarely open a cardiology thread. Maybe if I was curious to see how others answered or were idly browsing through threads, but generally, I wouldn't open up cardiology threads. However, I do try to open the oncology threads whenever I see them because that's the specialty I code. I might occasionally not see an oncology question because I might go a day or two without browsing the forum.

Here's a good example of where not having a clear title can hurt someone:

I just stumbled on a radiation oncology question, which is my main area of expertise. The thread title is about the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, but the question is about the supervision requirements for radiation simulation. The title has nothing to do with the information the member actually needed.

I only found that thread because I was looking for an example to give you and popped "radiation" in the search bar - I never would have spotted that thread otherwise.


Of course, it can also be helpful for someone to double-check whether a similar question has been answered recently before posting. The members who frequent the forums are only human - at some point, if a member feels like they are answering the exact same question over and over, they might get posting fatigue. Anyone who answers questions in this forum is voluntarily taking time out of their day to share information. They might occasionally get busy in other areas of their lives and not be able to answer everything that comes up here, especially if it is something they've already answered many times in the forum before.

If students have specific questions about their studies, they can certainly post them here. However, they may also want to ask their instructor and use other resources as well. Depending on the question, there may be other internet groups where the question can be asked, too.

 

[kahnw]

Thank you so much for your constructive feedback. It is much appreciated!

I will be sure to be more diligent in my titling of questions in the student forum.

 

[csperoni]

Many thumbs up for the response by @sls314
I am choosing to spend my Friday night responding to some posts. I typically enjoy educating others who are appreciative. And debating areas that currently have vague guidance (looking at you G2211). If someone asks a question that was already answered with references a week ago, and a month ago, and the month before that, but they were too lazy to use the search button to read my previous answers, I very well may skip it.
You will see though, that there are often a very small percentage of users responding to the vast majority of the questions. In my opinion, even those less experienced could give insight or opinion. I try to add references and/or my thought logic to my responses, even if it's not a procedure or specialty I'm very experienced with.
In general, I don't answer (or answer with a disclaimer):
1) Posts that seem like they want someone to do their homework for them.
2) Users who post the same question multiple times.
3) Posts that are just super vague or seem lazy.
4) Questions where I have zero relevant experience.
5) Questions that should be referred to an attorney, or an accountant, or not really coding related.
If I need to research for 45 minutes to answer the post, the OP could have done the same research.

 

[jkyles]

Great comments above. I would add that:
1. Even though this forum doesn't have a rule against ALL CAPS, some people still equate it with shouting and will ignore posts written with the Caps Lock engaged.
2. I can't explain exactly why, but I've become increasingly hesitant to answer a question if I think the person doesn't have a current CPT Manual. I know some practices only purchase new books every other year, but I just don't feel good about it.