Wiki Pathology Consultations

dchase58

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I would like clarification on when Clinical Pathology Consultations (80500 and 80502) would be used and when 88329-88332 would be used. Thank you for your help!
 
80500 - A limited clinical pathology consultation is a service rendered by a pathologist to provide additional interpretive judgment to one or more test results. The pathologist is provided with the patient's diagnosis but does not review the patient's medical history or medical records. The request for consultation must be made in writing by the attending physician and relate to test results that fall outside of an expected range. The consulting pathologist provides a written report of the findings to the requesting physician at the conclusion of the review.

80502 -
A comprehensive clinical pathology consultation is a service rendered by a pathologist to provide additional interpretive judgment to one of more test results when a complex diagnostic problem has been identified. The clinical pathologist is provided with the patient's diagnosis and does a complete review of the patient's medical history and all available medical records. The request for consultation must be made in writing by the attending physician and relate to test results that fall outside of an expected range. The consulting pathologist provides a written report of the findings to the requesting physician at the conclusion of the review.

88329 -
The pathologist examines a tissue block at the request of the surgeon during the course of the surgical procedure to identify the presence or absence of disease or malignancy and/or to determine whether the surgical margins are free of disease or malignancy. A tissue block is a sample of tissue submitted as a single specimen that has been prepared for examination. A gross examination of the tissue block is performed. The tissue block is then flash frozen and cut into thin sections and each frozen section is examined microscopically. The pathologist provides an initial verbal report of findings including the presence or absence of neoplasm or other disease, the extent of involvement, the presence or absence of clean margins, and any other clinically significant characteristics of the tissue sample. A written report is also provided and placed in the medical record. Report 88329 for the pathology consult only during surgery without tissue block examination.

88331 - The pathologist examines a tissue block at the request of the surgeon during the course of the surgical procedure to identify the presence or absence of disease or malignancy and/or to determine whether the surgical margins are free of disease or malignancy. A tissue block is a sample of tissue submitted as a single specimen that has been prepared for examination. A gross examination of the tissue block is performed. The tissue block is then flash frozen and cut into thin sections and each frozen section is examined microscopically. The pathologist provides an initial verbal report of findings including the presence or absence of neoplasm or other disease, the extent of involvement, the presence or absence of clean margins, and any other clinically significant characteristics of the tissue sample. A written report is also provided and placed in the medical record. Use 88331 for the first tissue block and all frozen sections from the first tissue block.

Use 88332 for each additional tissue block with frozen sections.



 
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