With documentation queries to providers, it is important for coding professionals, clinical documentation improvement professionals and other healthcare professionals to know the most appropriate times to query, according to a post on the American Association of Professional Coders website.
The post — written by Vicky Schack, compliance program manager-educator/auditor for Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital — references a brief from the American Health Information Management Association and cites the association's reasons for queries.
The American Health Information Management Association's reasons to query include:
- To clarify why a patient was hospitalized
- To get clarification when a documented diagnosis does not appear to be clinically supported
- To clarify the intention and extent of care provided
- To resolve situations in which there is conflicting documentation between the attending provider and other treating providers
Read the association's list of reasons here.
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