February 21, 2019
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) are conditions that are often inaccurately coded due to misunderstanding of coding requirements of each level of acuity. A patient can have DVT and PE that is:
- Acute: requiring urgent intervention
- Chronic: requiring ongoing monitoring
- Historical: occurred in the past but might require medication to prevent recurrence
In all three instances the patient can be on anticoagulation treatment. Because a patient is taking Coumadin doesn’t automatically mean the DVT and PE is acute, yet coding the DVT or PE as acute is a common coding mistake.
Learn more about documentation requirements associated with DVT and PE.
For more information about documentation and coding of this and any other chronic or complex condition, email your Provider Clinical Consultant at providerclinicalconsulting@premera.com.