Calculate your E/M bell curve

Why This Topic Matters

Benchmarking E/M utilization can help a practice spot unusual billing patterns early, support internal compliance reviews, and target education or documentation audits where variation is greatest.

Article Sections

1. Question and answer: auditing E/M coding patterns

   Introduces the compliance question and outlines the general audit approach discussed in the article. It frames the broader purpose of comparing practice patterns with external data sources.

2. Using utilization data and benchmark comparisons

   Explains the role of national utilization data and other reference points in evaluating practice patterns. The section also discusses the general compliance context and the need for documentation-based coding.

3. Example analysis of established patient E/M visits

   Presents a worked example of a high-volume established patient visit group and shows how practice-level volume and distribution analysis is organized. The section centers on comparing internal percentages with national patterns.

4. Calculating variance and reviewing results

   Describes the general steps for translating percentage differences into volume and dollar variance. It concludes with the article’s recommendation to use the findings for internal review and documentation checks.