A 50-year-old male patient returns to the office for a follow-up visit for a diagnosis of generalized primary osteoarthritis of multiple sites. The patient tells the medical assistant that he is experiencing sharp throbbing pain in his left hip and right and left knees. He states the pain level is 6 out of 10 and…
Rheumatology Coding Answer: Deconstructing Evaluation and Management Codes
Take the challenge. Answers: B: No—Only the treating physician can take the HPI. The medical assistant is allowed to take the review of systems. If the documentation indicates the treating physician did not take the HPI, the insurance can deny the claim as not medically necessary. B: No—If the high-risk medication is not assessed and…
Rheumatology Nurse Certification Through Portfolio
Rheumatology nurses have a new option to obtain certification. Instead of taking an exam to demonstrate one’s competencies, rheumatology nurses can provide documentation of their expertise through an online application process, the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Rheumatology Nursing Certification Through Portfolio. Launched in February 2016, the program was developed by the ANCC in collaboration…
What Listening to Lungs Might Teach About Rheumatic Disease
One of your first clinical assignments as a medical student was likely to have been the lung exam. Its key descriptors may still resonate in your mind: inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation. Proudly parading down the hospital corridors, your newly purchased stethoscope snugly tucked inside your lab coat pocket, you carefully place its cold metal…
Changes to Rheumatology Maintenance of Certification Program Imminent
The ACR supports revisions planned by the American Board of Internal Medicine to modify its MOC program
Respect Rheumatologists as Responsible Adults: A Call for MOC Reform
A rheumatologist says current maintenance of certification requirements put unnecessary stress on clinicians
Coding Corner Answer: February 2008
February’s Coding Answer