tci E/M Coding Alert - 2016 Issue 8

Reader Question: Careful, That Open Wound Care Might Be an E/M

Question: What is the difference between an open and closed wound, and does open wound treatment automatically mean you can choose a procedure code? New Hampshire Subscriber Answer: An open wound occurs when the skin is cut, torn, or punctured. The most common types of open wounds are abrasion, avulsion, incision, laceration, and puncture. If you see any of these terms in the notes, and evidence that the skin was breached, your provider might have performed open wound treatment. Closed wound example: An established patient reports to the physician’s office with a badly bruised forearm. Another example could...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci E/M Coding Alert.


Stay informed, get answers to your E/M coding and documentation questions, and find the help you need to bank your deserved pay with your subscription to TCI’s E/M Coding Alert.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 500 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 2013 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • tci E/M Coding Alert +Archives

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.