I work for a large physicians office with several specialties in coding/charge entry. I have been asked on several occasions by the physician if it would be better for my work (and for theirs) for them to put down the code rather than the diagnosis? This is only in regards to office patients and not hospital/in patient work.
In regards to their "less than stellar" handwriting it might be better to have the actual code and faster for all. But when entering the code in the charges if all I have is the ICD number there is often a range of descriptions for that number and it might be possible for the description I select to NOT reflect the desired diagnosis of the physician. To correct this, I'm forced to go to my ICD book and look up each code number to enter the exact description shown(if I don't happen to remember it).
My question is, how do I answer the physician on this? Is it better for the physician to put the diagnosis and I will find the right code or for them to enter the code number alone and I will use the description in the current ICD 9 book?
Thanks for any opinions on this...
Tom
In regards to their "less than stellar" handwriting it might be better to have the actual code and faster for all. But when entering the code in the charges if all I have is the ICD number there is often a range of descriptions for that number and it might be possible for the description I select to NOT reflect the desired diagnosis of the physician. To correct this, I'm forced to go to my ICD book and look up each code number to enter the exact description shown(if I don't happen to remember it).
My question is, how do I answer the physician on this? Is it better for the physician to put the diagnosis and I will find the right code or for them to enter the code number alone and I will use the description in the current ICD 9 book?
Thanks for any opinions on this...
Tom