Breaking Down ICD-10-CM 7th Characters for Traumatic Fracture Care

traumatic fracture care

Crystal May, CCS, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor Sr. Risk Adjustment Consultant, Norwood Coders often get overwhelmed with coding traumatic fractures, typically due to the numerous 7th characters available. But coding them isn’t as scary as it seems once you understand how they break down. The first question you must ask is, is…

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AAIM vs. GLIM: Evaluating the Best Tool for Diagnosis of Severe and Other Forms of Malnutrition

malnutrition

By Brian Murphy AAIM or GLIM… which is the better tool for diagnosing severe and other forms of malnutrition? A question not without its share of controversy. For U.S. hospitals and healthcare organizations, the answer is AAIM, according to my recent guest on Off the Record, ECU Health Adult Clinical Dietitian Supervisor Ashley Strickland. These…

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Most Common CDI and Coding Queries: What Are Yours?

cdi and coding

By Brian Murphy What are your most common CDI or coding queries these days? There are always a few at or near the top (you probably know the culprits), but I was interested to see if there were any shifts based on the continued growth of Medicare Advantage/HCCs, social determinants of health, changes in provider…

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Bombshell ACO Whistleblower Lawsuit Highlights Needs for Accuracy, Not Maximization, of Medical Coding

medical coding

Note: The following is an editorial and should not be substituted for legal advice or counsel. By Brian Murphy If you’re using a vendor promising “big ROI” from their revolutionary coding software—one that requires harried physicians to pick medical codes from dropdown lists—you are setting yourself up for huge fines and public humiliation. We’ve seen…

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CDI and Coding Professionals: Indispensable Links in the Chain of Care

cdi

By Brian Murphy CDI professionals (and clinically astute coders) can positively impact patient care. How? By being mindful during their chart reviews, noticing documentation discrepancies, and bringing them to the attention of the care team. On the latest episode of Off the Record, Lynne Spryszak, RN, CCDS, gave a couple wonderful examples. Lynne was re-reviewing…

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With a Two-Year Revenue Growth of 418%, Norwood Ranks No. 28 on Inc. Magazine’s List of the Southwest Region’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Companies on the 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southwest list had an average growth rate of 135.43 percent.  Inc. magazine today revealed that Norwood ranks no. 28 on its fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Southwest private companies, based in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Born of…

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CMS Changes Longstanding Policy, Allows Providers to Text Patient Information and Orders

cms policy

By Brian Murphy Ladies and gentlemen, start your texts. Texting patient information and the texting of patient orders among members of the health care team is now permissible, if accomplished through a HIPAA compliant secure texting platform (STP) and in compliance with the Conditions of Participation (CoPs), according to a recent CMS memorandum. See link…

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