Every day, jewlz, every day.
You almost have to prove yourself, and you have to get to know these providers personalities. They're just trying to do their jobs, just like you. Many of them are frustrated by clunky EHRs, pressure from administration, angry patients and then the coder shows up and sends them over the edge. We try to take time to let them rant. Our sympathy means a great deal, and usually it's not us they're annoyed at. Then we remind them that we're not showing them how to practice medicine....we're making sure that they get paid for what they do. Our job is to provide a service, not to tick them off.
I find that having regulatory guidance in my hand for specific issues is helpful. I also mention that coding is 'gray' at best and occasionally coders will not always agree, but that we're going to help establish guidelines that he can live with. Let him know that coding changes all the time, and that what was OK three years ago may have been further clarified this year. Then step back and figure out if the consultant was right and maybe you're wrong......just saying, it can't hurt to consider.
Take a look at your approach. If you show up in his office loaded for bear, things will not go well. I find that education in very small doses is best. Pick one topic, discuss for five minutes and move on. Then later, go back with another topic. If you try to teach them coding in twenty minutes, you're going to lose them and lose your advantage. Follow up with an email. Most of my docs like bullet points, not a dissertation. I use a lot of tools like laminated cheat sheets, flow charts---anything visual. One approach I use is to ask them to teach me....."so, Doc, when you have this patient with XYZ, and you're considering his treatment, what thoughts are going through your head as you decide what to do?" They he gives you your information for assessment/plan, and all you have to do is say to him,"wow, that would be very helpful if you'd document that as clearly in your note...I would definitely be able to code that much more effectively!"
