Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Capture complications and add more precision to your reporting.As Crohn's disease is a fairly common condition that you would encounter in your gastroenterologist's practice, you will need to understand how to report it using ICD-10 codes when they come into effect.The key? Look at the complications associated with Crohn's disease to arrive at the appropriate diagnostic codes.Review these Basics: Your gastroenterologist arrives at a diagnosis of Crohn's disease on the basis of a thorough history, medical examination, signs and symptoms, tests, and diagnostic procedures.You will need to know what symptoms give a cue to your gastroenterologist for the suspicion and diagnosis of Crohn's disease. "We diagnose Crohn's on endoscopy. So, if the patient is suspected of Crohn's at the initial office visit, then only the symptoms are reported," says Linh Nguyen, CPC, Medical Coder-Gastroenterology Associates, Evansville, Indiana.Symptoms of Crohn's disease can include chronic diarrhea (R19.7, Diarrhea, unspecified), chronic severe lower [...]