Wiki Ambulatory Dysfunction?

ancoleman22

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We are currently having a discussion at my office about whether or not we can use "acute ambulatory dysfunction" as a dx. My supervisor states that it is not a dx and that we need to return the chart for more documentation. I am just wondering what other facilities/practices use? I work for a home health agency so it is sometimes hard to get more documentation. Thanks! :confused:
 
Its a vague Dx. A sign/symptom that wont return much for case mix points. I always try to find a more definitive Dx before assigning anything like that. So i understand her position.... if you can find what is causing the ambulatory dysfunction, go with that. But i know... we in home health dont always get that. so you just have to go with what you got :)
 
Dysfunctional Gait

This "diagnosis" is too vague and "nonspecific" for use. The R26: Abnormality of gait and mobility would cover it as a Symptom or Physical Finding (Sign), but R Codes should not be used as "diagnosis" code unless there is no other "specific" underlying, causative disease that can be coded for specificity. The "abnormality of gait" is a essentially a manifestation of some other disease, not a disease in and of itself.

Respectfully submitted, Alan Pechacek, M.D.
icd10orthocoder.com
 
Thank you both for the clarification! The problem we have at our facility is that this is all we get a lot of times. There is no definitive diagnosis that is causing it or we cant get anything from the doctor of a diagnosis. My supervisor was telling me that we couldn't use the gait abnormality code R26.9 for ambulatory dysfunction, which didn't make sense to me! Thanks again!
 
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