Reader Question: See if History is Present or Past

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by AAPC. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article addresses a common question for people learning E/M coding: how current symptoms and conditions differ from past medical, family, and social history in documentation. It is aimed at coders and clinicians who need a clearer understanding of history components and how they fit into E/M history level selection.

Why This Topic Matters

Correctly distinguishing present versus past history supports more accurate E/M documentation review and helps readers understand why history components matter in code selection.

What You Will Learn

  • How E/M history elements are categorized into current and past information
  • How chief complaint, history of present illness, review of systems, and past/family/social history relate to documentation
  • Why past history can be relevant to current treatment context
  • How history documentation contributes to E/M history level selection

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Auditors
  • Physicians
  • Surgeons
  • Clinical documentation staff
  • E/M coding learners

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