Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: My physician documented that he performed critical care services for a patient whom he discharged from the ED. Is that possible? Would patients who need critical care services improve enough to go home instead of into the hospital? Iowa Subscriber Answer: This sort of situation is highly unusual. However, just because a patient requires critical care services does not mean he will not improve enough to warrant discharge. The key point to your question is, "Does the documentation clearly support the critical nature of the patient's illness and the services provided?" Critical care is defined as "the direct delivery by a physician of medical care for a critically ill or critically injured patient." A critical illness or injury acutely impairs one or more vital organ systems such that there is a high probability of imminent or life-threatening deterioration in the patient's condition. Critical care involves high-complexity decision making to [...]