Wiki Signatures

[maryjoanna152]

Can anyone tell me what a signature represents on a dictation? I have a physician who has signed a dictation after his NP but was not in the office this DOS. In my thinking no matter what insurance it may be the doctor should not have signed this (because I interpret the doctors signature on a dictation to be saying that he saw the patient and agrees with the information above)
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[mhstrauss]

Can anyone tell me what a signature represents on a dictation? I have a physician who has signed a dictation after his NP but was not in the office this DOS. In my thinking no matter what insurance it may be the doctor should not have signed this (because I interpret the doctors signature on a dictation to be saying that he saw the patient and agrees with the information above)
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.

In this situation, with the MD signing after the NP (or PA), it's not necessarily signifying that he has seen the patient and agrees with the information, but more so that he has reviewed the note and agrees. I believe some states require that the supervising physician co-signs a certain number of the NP/PA's charts. It also doesn't mean that the MD can bill for this service (depending on payer guidelines, incident-to, etc)...just that he has reviewed, and agrees.

Hope this helps!

 

[Kisalyn]

I agree with mhstrauss. One of the hospitals our physicians have privlieges at requires co-signatures on NP notes. Our NPs see the patients and bill for their service independent of the physicians. As an internal policy, the physicians also cosign their notes at all other hospitals.

In the office, the physician overseeing the patient may review any notes generated and sign off on them. In the office, I see this all the time. It lands on their desk and they initial it and toss it in the outbox.