Wiki take caution with answer given...

[emcee101]

take caution with answers given...

Just a bit of a rant I suppose... I would love to hear others thoughts on this though. Fire away

I've seen a lot of instances on the discussion board recently where inaccurate, incomplete and vague information is being given in response to questions or scenarios being posed by other members. While I'm sure the intent is usually positive the end result may not be.

We are not perfect and none of us, myself certainly included, know all there is to know when it comes to the vast world of coding. We use these discussion boards to help others that are in need of answers when we are knowledgeable on something that they are not, and also to seek answers from others when we are not "in the know" and need help. Therre is no requirement to give an answer to any specific thread and if you are not certain that your answer is correct or will benefit the discussion in some way then perhaps the best course of action is to refrain from responding. If you do know the answer, then a well thought out, concise and complete response would be of great benefit to the person seeking information. Often a sentence or two will be enough but in some cases a longer response detailing the reason for your answer can provide valuable information that would be of benefit to others that read the thread.

We all got to where we are in this profession because others passed along the knowledge they have gained over the years, and we should continue to pass that information along as much as possible to those that come behind us. It's OK not to know everything, It's great to seek more information, and It's excellent to pass along what you know so that others can benefit from knowing a little more.

The road to knowledge has no definite end to it. It keeps on going for however long your stay on earth is.
― Edmond Mbiaka

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
― William Arthur Ward

 

[cldavenport]

Well said! There are times when I am in need of infomation to a question I may have. Coming to the forums is a great option. The main thing I am looking for in a response is where the information is coming from. When you are responding to a question, always include where you got the information from, preferably a link, so that others may take that answer, reference the material, and have it in writing.

 

[Bready]

take caution with answers given

your "rant" that helping each other in coding is very good advice and its true that explanations are often helpful to others who come and read the thread. However, I would like to add two thoughts: (1) sometimes there are no book explanations but knowledge gleaned through experience especially in dealing with claims payor issues and I have been grateful in the past for others' suggestions on how they resolved issues. There can also be "multiple" feedbacks which enliven the learning/teaching experience. (2) and this has become a pet peeve of mine lately(mea culpa): people who ask the same questions. A LOT of questions have been addressed previously and good answers/tips/suggestions/helpful hints and direction can be found by using the search bar and typing in the question. If no answer suffices, then by all means, ask the question but please look first to see if it has already been dealt with. I have found answers myself by doing this(and interesting past conversations).
thanks,emcee 101, for bringing this up and pardon my own rant. who's next?

If you think knowledge is dangerous, try ignorance.
Mark Twain

 

[Leenahz]

What a great post, emcee!

I tend to start my replies with "to my knowledge" or "it's my understanding." Although I have fifteen years of billing and coding behind me insurance and coding guidelines update throughout the year (especially DMAS). I realize I may not always have the most accurate information, but still like to contribute info based off past experiences.

Personally, if I ask a question I like to know sources. I won't solely rely on what one person recommends. If a suggestion is given without a source I do more research online to find out if it is indeed accurate and go from there. I hope more people take this approach rather than relying on one or two individual responses.

As I like to say, C-Y-A!

Lena

 

[suemt]

Bready, I appreciate your suggestion to search before asking a question, but the search function is so weak on this site, that I find it hard to find do effective searches! When I've contacted them about this, they tell me to use Google search.

 

[jlynnhowe]

I'm not confident enough in my own experience, personally, to answer most questions without having something to cite to back me up.

I agree with the above comment about searching this particular site, though. The search function for the forums especially could be better. Searching in Google or another engine for whatever term or question you need, plus 'AAPC' or 'AAPC forum' yields better results in my experience.