Outpatient — The problem with outpatient procedures is that so many of them lack an actual diagnosis. With that being the case, it is more acceptable for them to use signs and symptoms for coding purposes. Coders, however, should be constantly on the lookout for new information from the care provider so that they are able to eventually enter a definitive diagnosis.
Additional Stays — In the event, a patient needs an additional stay in the hospital as a result of complications, then the principal diagnosis should be the complication.
If, however, the complication is non-specific, additional codes will probably be made necessary at that point. Admitted Due to Complications — Here we are bringing up an instance where a patient is admitted due to complications following outpatient surgery or other procedures which are outpatient related. In this case, the complications need to be listed as the principal diagnosis unless the reason for admission is not a complication from surgery.
In this case, the first listed reason for the initial surgery would become the principle. Medical coding is broadly divided into two categories inpatient coding and outpatient coding. Here are some of the differences. Outpatient coding involves coding charts where the hospital stay is limited to 24 hours.
The patient is treated and discharged within 24 hours. Outpatient coding is far easier than inpatient coding. In inpatient coding, the patient is admitted and remains in the hospital til he recovers thus making the hospital stay more than one day. Inpatient coding requires coding of services of each day of the hospital stay thus making is more and more difficult if the hospital stay becomes longer and longer.
However, if the complication lacks specificity to a diagnosis, an additional code may need to be assigned. If a patient is admitted to the hospital due to complications during or after outpatient surgery or other outpatient procedures, the complication should be listed as the principle diagnosis for inpatient admission.
However, if inpatient admission after surgery is not a complication, the first-listed reason for the outpatient surgery should be listed. Additionally, if the reason for admission is unrelated to the first-listed reason for surgery, the unrelated condition should be listed as the primary diagnosis in an inpatient setting. The biggest difference between inpatient and outpatient medical coding remains the criteria and instructions for uncertain conditions.
However, coders should always check the guidelines for additional instructions within the tabular and alphabetic indexes. By understanding these key differences between inpatient and outpatient coding techniques, overhead costs in health care settings can be reduced.
A proper understanding will help coders perform more efficiently and accurately in their roles, which is the overall goal of medical coding in the first place. A place for physicians and other healthcare RCM stakeholders to share and discover information about everything related to medical billing and ways to increase revenue. We provide all types of claims billing services integral to healthcare delivery system. Local: Email: Info m-scribe. Systematic documentation of the patient belonging to any category between two becomes necessary while billing and coding.
There are people employed for this challenging task. For the person seeking a career in the medical field and even, it becomes important to understand the difference and opt for a preference at the first.
A workplace works differently as per profession and the job one is employed at so the differences help to have an early stage training and development of skills. The difference between Outpatient Coding and Inpatient Coding is the time period a patient stays in the hospital. Outpatient coding is specifically done for patients who are not admitted for a longer time and get departure within 24 hours whereas under the prescription of a doctor the patients admitted for more days are generally handled by the inpatient coders carrying a detailed diagnostic report.
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