BMI Query
My question has to do with posting a physician query related to BMI.
Would it be considered leading to ask a physician to document BMI > 40
without a documented height? In the case I'm referencing, the patient
weighs more than 480 lbs. The documentation includes information such
as "cannot fit in scanner due to girth or size", "too obese for surgery"
and "super morbidly obese." Is it appropriate to ask for "BMI >40" as
opposed to having an actual measured number?
Thanks,
Tamara A. Hicks, RN, BSN, CCS, CCDS
Manager, Care Coordination
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt
North Carolina Baptist Hospital
Winston-Salem, NC
office: 336-713-4112
pager: 336-806-7709
fax: 336-716-1052
e-mail: thicks@wfubmc.edu
Would it be considered leading to ask a physician to document BMI > 40
without a documented height? In the case I'm referencing, the patient
weighs more than 480 lbs. The documentation includes information such
as "cannot fit in scanner due to girth or size", "too obese for surgery"
and "super morbidly obese." Is it appropriate to ask for "BMI >40" as
opposed to having an actual measured number?
Thanks,
Tamara A. Hicks, RN, BSN, CCS, CCDS
Manager, Care Coordination
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt
North Carolina Baptist Hospital
Winston-Salem, NC
office: 336-713-4112
pager: 336-806-7709
fax: 336-716-1052
e-mail: thicks@wfubmc.edu
Comments
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
Colleen
have asked the MD to document a finding related to a specific code. I
would think a better approach is to cite the findings you've cited in
your email, calculate the actual BMI (there are multiple online
calculators you can use), and then explain that to assign the most
specific codes to reflect severity of illness and resource consumption
for patient care, you'd like their professional opinion if the actual
BMI is appropriate to quantify the degree of morbid obesity. If so,
please add the BMI to their progress notes or other documentation.
How about something like that?
Is there anything else I can do for you?
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Sandy Beatty, RN, BSN, C-CDI
Clinical Documentation Specialist
Columbus Regional Hospital
Columbus, IN
(812) 376-5652
sbeatty@crh.org
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes
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Katy Good, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
Clinical Documentation Program Coordinator
Flagstaff Medical Center
Kathryn.Good@nahealth.com
Cell: 928.814.9404