RE: [EXTERNAL] RE:Morbid Obesity along with joint replacements

katysuegood@gmail.comkatysuegood@gmail.com
edited May 2016 in CDI Talk Archive
I find the reference back to UHDDS interesting. That seems to be a very strict interpretation. With many, many chronic diseases that are very consistently coded we don't demand specific documentation of the impact on patient care/interventions associated with these conditions. UHDDS does state that we can code "additional diagnoses that affect patient care in terms of requiring: clinical evaluation, therapeutic treatment, diagnostic procedures, extended LOS, or increased nursing care and or monitoring." As far as I know, this does not specifically state that the physician has to actually explain HOW this condition increased nursing care, for example (as is often the case with morbid obesity). The coding clinic clarifies that morbid obesity ALWAYS meets clinical significance.

Katy Good, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
Clinical Documentation Program Coordinator
AHIMA Approved ICD-10CM/PCS Trainer
Flagstaff Medical Center
Kathryn.Good@nahealth.com
Cell: 928.814.9404



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