Assigning attending MD

sbeattysbeatty
edited May 2016 in CDI Talk Archive
I'm curious how attending MD is assigned in your organizations. We
assign query responsibility to the attending MD if one is left at
discharge with no reply. Our rationale is that the attending MD is
responsible for the record of the IP stay in the chart. We want to see
how others determine who is the attending. We have a 5 physician
hospitalist group and often they work one week on, one week off. This is
creating problems in assigning attending MD. Can the group offer any
insight? How about you coders in the group-this likely falls within HI
policy and procedure.



Comments

  • stacy.vaughnstacy.vaughn
    edited May 2016
    As far as the hospitalist group goes, it typically goes to the discharging
    physician. But for other groups it will be the physician managing the
    patient during the stay. Example dr A is caring for the patient and Dr B
    discharges as coverage for a day off, it would go to Dr A.

    Stacy Vaughn, RHIT, CCS, CCDS
    Data Support Specialist/DRG Assurance
    Aurora Baycare Medical Center
    2845 Greenbrier Rd
    Green Bay, WI 54311
    Phone: (920) 288-8655
    Fax: (920) 288-3052

  • dbutlerdbutler
    edited May 2016
    As a large medical center, the attending on the day of discharge gets tagged, especially with all of the 'service' teams (FP/IM/etc. resident teaching teams, hospitalists, trauma, etc.). Arguable not fair by individual case, but hopefully in aggregate it evens out. Private groups may cross cover and not change attending, but in most of those cases, the patient is NOT discharged by the 'covering' physician anyway.

    Don

  • NormaBNormaB
    edited May 2016
    I believe our discharging physician gets tagged as attending as well.

    As for queries to our hospitalists I address them as "Dear Hospitalist". I can't determine who will always see the query because of their rotations.

    Currently we have a procedure in place where the first one to see the query has to initial the front page. We also ask if they disagree with the query to document "no" or "disagree" and their initials on the front so we will be able to credit the correct physician with the correct documentation. Its working so far.

    NTB

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