Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Question: Do patients have to complete a yearly history and physical questionnaire? Our questions outline brief history of chief complaint (CC), review of systems (ROS), medical and family history, past surgical history, medications, and allergies. Some patients take 20 minutes to complete the form, and some patients are annoyed that they have to fill this out again. Do you have any insight on this? New Jersey Subscriber Answer: To be aware of any changes, updating histories annually is a good idea. You could make completing the forms easier for established patients with this time saver: Give the patient a copy of his last year's history, and he can indicate any changes for this year on it, saving him from starting from scratch. Pre-appointment option: Prior to a scheduled established patient appointment, mail the form to the patient. Ask him to complete it prior to the appointment and bring it with him to the visit. Or try implementing a hybrid of these ideas.