Wiki Screening Colonoscopy definition

[bluemoon1]

A patient goes to his internist for a check up. The doctor advises him to have a colonoscopy due to his age and gives him the name of a gastroenterologist. The patient goes to the gastroenterologist for an initial office visit. A personal history is taken. The pt states he had occasional rectal bleeding a year ago. The gastroenterologist enters the rectal bleed into the progress notes and schedules the patient for a screening colonoscopy. He did not see a doctor for the rectal bleed or receive treatment. At this time the patient has no symptoms or complaints. Is this considered a screening colonoscopy.

 

[mitchellde]

sounds like screening to me. Just because a pt states they have a positive hx of something does not make the study diagnostic. To be diagnostic the physician would need to document a pt symptom and that the colonoscopy is to investigate the symptom.

 

[jgf-CPC]

Did the patient have a referral to come to the GI? Or did you not get a Dx on an order? Sounds like a screening to me unless you have indications of it being diagnostic.