91. Is this the end of note bloat? | Breaking down the 2023 documentation guidelines
Nov 7, 2022
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The podcast discusses the upcoming changes in documentation guidelines for coding, billing, and compliance, highlighting the burdensome nature of the current guidelines. They emphasize the potential for the new guidelines in 2023 to reduce the burden of documentation and allow clinicians to prioritize patient care. The importance of real-time documentation in the emergency department and the value of capturing the ED course are also discussed. The chapter also explores the process of importing radiology reports into a patient's chart and the challenges of reconciling independent interpretations. Additionally, the podcast highlights the importance of documenting the consideration of escalation or de-escalation of care and discusses the disagreement between the American Medical Association and CPT regarding guidelines for critical care time in 2023.
The upcoming changes to documentation guidelines for clinicians will shift the focus to medical decision-making and reduce unnecessary history and exam documentation.
The new documentation guidelines highlight the importance of documenting social determinants of health, which can lead to policy changes and improved patient care and outcomes.
The value of documenting independent interpretation of images or studies, as well as obtaining information from non-patient sources, helps support continuity of care and provides a comprehensive view of patient care.
Deep dives
Transition to New Documentation Guidelines
The podcast episode discusses the upcoming changes to documentation guidelines for clinicians, specifically emergency clinicians. The current guidelines are considered burdensome and lead to unnecessary documentation. However, the new guidelines, set to be implemented in 2023, aim to focus on medical decision-making rather than extensive history and exam documentation. The guidelines emphasize the importance of medically appropriate history and exam, as well as addressing comorbidities and risk stratification. These changes aim to reduce note bloat and allow clinicians to focus on what truly matters in patient care.
Acknowledging Social Determinants of Health
The new documentation guidelines highlight the importance of social determinants of health, recognizing that economic and social conditions can significantly impact a patient's health. Clinicians are encouraged to document social determinants of health when relevant, such as homelessness or transportation issues. By including this information, it not only provides a more accurate reflection of the patient's circumstances but also raises visibility to social determinants of health within healthcare systems, potentially leading to policy changes and improved patient care and outcomes.
Importance of Independent Interpretation and Relevant Information
The podcast episode emphasizes the value of documenting the independent interpretation of images or studies, such as EKGs or point-of-care ultrasounds, performed by the clinician. This highlights the direct responsibility and involvement of the clinician in making treatment decisions based on these interpretations. Additionally, the guidelines recognize the relevance of obtaining information from non-patient sources, such as caregivers, EMS, consultants, or record review. Including this information in the documentation provides a comprehensive view of patient care and helps support the continuity of care for future healthcare teams.
Valuing Documentation and Meaningful Medical Records
The podcast episode discusses the importance of documenting a meaningful medical record and how it contributes to patient care. It emphasizes the need to focus on documenting towards the care of the patient rather than following rigid rules. It highlights the importance of external record review and the need to attribute credit to non-patient sources such as reviewing old records or consulting with other healthcare providers. The episode also explores the concept of capturing the ED course in a concise and efficient manner, illustrating how a well-written medical decision-making note can significantly impact patient care.
Evolving Guidelines and the Shift towards Quality Medicine
The podcast episode delves into the evolving 2023 documentation guidelines and how they reflect a significant leap forward in modern medicine. It highlights the shift from valuing the quantity of tests and procedures to valuing the rationale and thought processes behind medical decision-making. The episode emphasizes the importance of differential diagnoses and comorbidities in demonstrating the complexity of care. It also discusses the value of documenting shared decision-making, considering escalation or de-escalation of care, and addressing social determinants of health. The episode concludes by mentioning ongoing discussions and potential inconsistencies regarding critical care time in the guidelines.
28 years ago, the die was cast for how emergency department encounters were documented. Since then, we've had note bloat, click fatigue, and too much attention placed on things that really didn’t matter. All of that is slated to change in 2023 with dramatic new documentation guidelines (that today’s guest calls ‘refreshing’) are implemented. When was the last time you heard the word ‘refreshing’ used when it came to charting? And a massive thank you and hat tip to my friend Matt DeLaney who now runs ERcast - he was the first to alert us to these guidelines and interviewed Jason when they were first announced.
Guest bio: Jason Adler, MD is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland where he is also the director of compliance and reimbursement. He is also the vice president of acute care solutions at LogixHealth.
Episode Sponsor: Ivy Clinicians. Curious if there’s a better clinical opportunity out there? Ivy is the simplest way for physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners to match with jobs they love. With Ivy, you can find all 5,549 emergency departments, filter by your preferences, and connect securely with the right employers. All for free.
For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website
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