Wiki Independent Interpretation of Tests

[blaymon]

Please help! I need clarification on Independent Interpretation of Tests. I have read the update but am still confused. As a provider, if I order an ankle x-ray and provide my own independent interpretation in the patient's note, this will count towards Category 2 Independent Interpretation of Tests which would be a moderate complexity of data? Important to note, my company does bill for the technical component of radiographs and the x-rays are also read by a radiologist off site.

 

[csperoni]

If you are not performing the professional component of the xray and are doing a wet read, my understanding is that you may count that as independent interpretation of tests.
From the AMA guidelines: "Any service for which the professional component is separately reported by the physician or other qualified health care professional reporting the E/M services is not counted as a data element ordered, reviewed, analyzed, or independently interpreted for the purposes of determining the level of MDM."
My interpretation is that since your office is NOT separately reporting the professional component, you may count independent interpretation.