Wiki Mental Health and Coding

[LaVoncye]

Has anyone else noticed a change in your Mental Health and Physical Health once you became a Remote Code? Is there a ICD 10 code to describe what happens to you mentally and physically due to lose of social skills, Physical Activity ETC. First my body began to shut down and then my mental. I found myself not interacting with anyone or anything outside of my the walls of my office My days where so routine for 5 + years. The only things would change would be my yoga pants and T-shirts. the hardest decision I had daily was what color pants and t-shirts to wear. I found myself working longer hours and my days began to get longer and longer. The stress was becoming overwhelming it seemed as if the walls where closing in on me and then when I would go outside I felt out of place and boom panic attacks one behind another. When I would go to bed at night all would think about was if my productivity was where it should be or if I would receive hate mail in the morning. The more numbers I put up the more request would come in never ending, on and on. My mental health soon began to play tricks on me and life outside of my office became scary. I would get dressed outside of my daily yoga outfit and i would began to sweat the closer I got to the door. There where time I decided to order out and have things delivered this was when I knew I needed some help. I had become a poisoner to my profession. I decided I needed to get back out in the world, I took a pay cut and went back into the office not as a coder but as a Team lead in the PAS Department at my local hospital. I must say it feels good to get up in the morning get dressed look in the mirror and smile. I still love the coding side of things but sometimes you have to pick your battles.

Am I the only CPC who feels this way?

 

[TThivierge]

Hi LaVonyce
Sound like you suffered a bit with agoraphobia and depression? Are you alone or not have family around you (hubby or small kids) after finish work home? You do lose patience with people, teamwork and social skills staying at home ALL the time. Have you asked can you work 2 days in office and 3 days stay home? Remote working I think saves the employer money and want you to do more. I think anyone coming to work on a daily basis deal with traffic, cost of gas, putting on makeup, maintain nice clothes, greet & meet with office coworkers ETC ETC....should be paid more. I want to try remote coding at home but may try work 3 days at home and 2 days in office. As extraverted person this seem hard to stay home ALL the time.. I need the physical challenges of traffic, dealing with people, increase critical thinking skills, Etc. What is the hate mail comment from being stressed ? If you did not make the count for the day..get fussed at? Ahh sorry.Well took a pay cut but at least you have a job and can always go back to coding.
Take Care
Lady T

 

[LaVoncye]

Hi LaVonyce
Sound like you suffered a bit with agoraphobia and depression? Are you alone or not have family around you (hubby or small kids) after finish work home? You do lose patience with people, teamwork and social skills staying at home ALL the time. Have you asked can you work 2 days in office and 3 days stay home? Remote working I think saves the employer money and want you to do more. I think anyone coming to work on a daily basis deal with traffic, cost of gas, putting on makeup, maintain nice clothes, greet & meet with office coworkers ETC ETC....should be paid more. I want to try remote coding at home but may try work 3 days at home and 2 days in office. As extraverted person this seem hard to stay home ALL the time.. I need the physical challenges of traffic, dealing with people, increase critical thinking skills, Etc. What is the hate mail comment from being stressed ? If you did not make the count for the day..get fussed at? Ahh sorry.Well took a pay cut but at least you have a job and can always go back to coding.
Take Care
Lady T

Thanks for your feed back. I did the commute for years and then we went to 2 days in the office to 0 days in the office. The hate mail always started : Hello, I hope your day is going well on yesterday you did not meet your quota and down hill from there. It was very stressful when you and your co worker who does E/M out patient all day and your doing procedures and inpatient coding all day are being held to the same quota and they are being praised and your being looked at side eyed. It was also stressful being thrown into areas where you have no experience and left to fly or die with no education and continuous audits which make you feel like your life is on the line. One day i'm sure ill be back in the coding word just not now...

 

[TThivierge]

Thanks for your feed back. I did the commute for years and then we went to 2 days in the office to 0 days in the office. The hate mail always started : Hello, I hope your day is going well on yesterday you did not meet your quota and down hill from there. It was very stressful when you and your co worker who does E/M out patient all day and your doing procedures and inpatient coding all day are being held to the same quota and they are being praised and your being looked at side eyed. It was also stressful being thrown into areas where you have no experience and left to fly or die with no education and continuous audits which make you feel like your life is on the line. One day i'm sure ill be back in the coding word just not now...

I understand. I think medical coding in the office or management could be better. I believe it helps to have coder do one medical specialty or 2 or 3 categories .This shall be keep for a year or two then trade off with another coder. It lessens problems of denials and helps your accuracy plus built up speed in medical abstraction coding. Supposedly staying home is easier and more effective than being in the office due to less distractions. Also outpatient, surgery and inpatient coding have different quotas. OP=70 claims INP 12-15 Surgery 30 . But it also has to do with doctor documentation style, policies of medical center and smooth operations of IT system and Endcoder program. Do not forget add more education to keep coding skills sharpened; that takes up time in work day too. Coding managers have duties to keep a count..it is all part of their job. Coding will miss you...so please return when you can
Lady T