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Inpatient Facility Coding & Compliance Alert

ICD-10-PCS:

Study 7 Options When Assigning Your PCS Code's 5th Character

Published on Wed Sep 19, 2012

Tip: Focus on the physician's approach to make the right selection. As hospital staff and coders prepare for ICD-10-PCS implementation in October 2014, learning what each character of a PCS code represents can be tricky. This is especially true for character 5 if coders don't fully understand the difference between surgical approaches. Read on for the latest on ICD-10-PCS options and how to select the best approach for each case. Sift Through 7 Possible ApproachesThe term "approach" refers to the technique a physician uses to reach the site of the procedure. ICD-10-PCS groups approaches into seven categories:Each category also has a specific definition to help coders and providers accurately classify procedures. Learn the differences well, because only minor differences separate some from the others.Open: The physician cuts through the skin or mucous membrane and any other body layers necessary to expose the site of the procedure. Percutaneous: The physician gains entry, by [...]
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