General Surgery Coding Alert - 2007 Issue 22
PART B MYTH BUSTER: How To Make Your E/M Documentation Bullet-Proof--Even With Few Symptoms
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Article Overview
This article reviews documentation challenges in evaluation and management visits when patients arrive because of abnormal laboratory findings or other test results instead of obvious symptoms. It is aimed at clinicians, coders, and compliance staff who work with E/M record support, history elements, review of systems, and medical necessity in office, specialty, and emergency settings. The discussion focuses on broad documentation concepts, including history capture, symptom inquiry, and supporting the level of service when the presenting problem is driven by test findings.
Why This Topic Matters
Accurate E/M support can affect whether a visit is appropriately coded and defended in audit situations, especially when symptoms are limited or absent and the reason for the encounter is an abnormal lab result.
What You Will Learn
- Why abnormal test results can be the reason for an E/M visit
- How documentation of history elements supports visit level selection
- How review of systems and past history can help establish the clinical picture
- Why symptom inquiry may still be important even when the patient reports few complaints
- How medical necessity considerations affect visits based on lab findings
Who Should Read This
- Coders
- Clinical documentation staff
- Compliance professionals
- Emergency physicians
- Primary care clinicians
- Specialists
Codes Discussed
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