RE: I.C.D.-9 slavery - Mitral Regurg is

[Guest guest]

746.6

Subject: RE: I.C.D.-9 slaveryTo: Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008, 9:12 AM

Rian,

I have never heard of Reynaud¢s Phenomenon vs. Reynaud¢s Syndrome. Is there really a difference?

But, I do otherwise appreciate your rant. I can¢t find a code for something like Mitral Regurg but there are > 10 codes for conjunctivitis or cataracts. I don¢t need to know which kind of cataract. But I would like to know which kind of heart valve problem my patient has.

Kathy Saradarian, MD

Branchville, NJ

www.qualityfamilypr actice.com

Solo 4/03, Practicing since 9/90

Practice Partner 5/03

Low staffing

From: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) com [mailto:Practiceimp rovement1@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of a MintekSent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 12:15 AMTo: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) comSubject: [Practiceimprovemen t1] I.C.D.-9 slavery

The concept of an international system to codify medical diagnoses may have some merit, but come on, give me a break. That money spent on those silly code books is so insulting ... on a good day, I try to remember laughing at Chico Marx, in A Day at the Races --- "getcher code book ! ... ", then selling Groucho a second set of code books, to de-cipher the first set ... I don't know if this is the worst invention to ever get excreted into the practice of medicine, but it is certainly an enormous burden. After about 10-15 minutes of fumbling through my code books, and my on-line references, I am ready to just give up, or settle on anything close. An example: Raynaud's Phenomenon (much more common than Raynaud's Syndrome) has no code number, that I can find ... so, either label the patient with something much worse than she actually has, or back it off to something vague and meaningless, like "pain in

extremity" ... Has anybody found an I.C.D.-9 code for isolated Raynaud's Phenomenon ? ... If it is the insurance industry which wants every bean counted, every variant of U.R.I. tallied, every polygonal peg rounded-off and jammed-into one of these round holes, then why do we have to do their work ? ... It drives me crazy. In 4 years of medical school, and 3 years of residency, I learned enough diagnoses (and treatments) to start practicing medicine (in 1980), but nobody told me I might need to spend hours-upon-hours, in endless search for a code number, to match every diagnosis ... Makes you wanta holler, the way the do my mind. Rian Mintek, M.D. ... deconstructing, at the end of a long day ...

[Guest guest]

That is labeled in my program as Congenital Mitral Regurg.  I do

find an in-depth quantity of congenital heart disease but as for acquired

valvular disease it seems to be “Mitral/Aortic Valve Disorder” and

vagarities like that.  I can add “notes” but the “notes”

don’t populate my Problem lists when imported.  I could also leave off

the code and make my own list but really, I try to make the ICD-9 helpful if

possible since we have to use them and why should I have to create my own.

But thanks.

Kathy Saradarian, MD

Branchville, NJ

www.qualityfamilypractice.com

Solo 4/03, Practicing since 9/90

Practice Partner 5/03

Low staffing

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of george cote

Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 10:49 AM

To:

Subject: RE: I.C.D.-9 slavery - Mitral Regurg is

746.6

From: Kathy Saradarian

Subject: RE: I.C.D.-9 slavery

To:

Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008, 9:12 AM

Rian,

I have never heard of Reynaud¢s

Phenomenon vs. Reynaud¢s Syndrome. Is there really a difference?

But, I do otherwise appreciate your

rant. I can¢t find a code for something like Mitral Regurg but there

are > 10 codes for conjunctivitis or cataracts. I don¢t need to know

which kind of cataract. But I would like to know which kind of heart

valve problem my patient has.

Kathy Saradarian, MD

Branchville, NJ

www.qualityfamilypr actice.com

Solo 4/03, Practicing since 9/90

Practice Partner 5/03

Low staffing

From:

Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) com [mailto:Practiceimp rovement1@

yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of a Mintek

Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 12:15 AM

To: Practiceimprovement 1yahoogroups (DOT) com

Subject: [Practiceimprovemen t1] I.C.D.-9 slavery

The concept of an international system to codify medical

diagnoses may

have some merit, but come on, give me a break. That money spent on

those silly code books is so insulting ... on a good day, I try to

remember laughing at Chico Marx, in A Day at the Races --- " getcher

code book ! ... " , then selling Groucho a second set of code books, to

de-cipher the first set ... I don't know if this is the worst

invention to ever get excreted into the practice of medicine, but it

is certainly an enormous burden. After about 10-15 minutes of fumbling

through my code books, and my on-line references, I am ready to just

give up, or settle on anything close. An example: Raynaud's

Phenomenon (much more common than Raynaud's Syndrome) has no code

number, that I can find ... so, either label the patient with

something much worse than she actually has, or back it off to

something vague and meaningless, like " pain in extremity " ... Has

anybody found an I.C.D.-9 code for isolated Raynaud's

Phenomenon ? ... If it is the insurance industry which wants every

bean counted, every variant of U.R.I. tallied, every polygonal peg

rounded-off and jammed-into one of these round holes, then why do we

have to do their work ? ... It drives me crazy. In 4 years of medical

school, and 3 years of residency, I learned enough diagnoses (and

treatments) to start practicing medicine (in 1980), but nobody told me

I might need to spend hours-upon-hours, in endless search for a code

number, to match every diagnosis ... Makes you wanta holler, the way

the do my mind. Rian Mintek, M.D. ... deconstructing, at the end of

a long day ...