Saturday, April 27, 2013

Another CPT Coding Resource

 
 Dr. Michael Price writes:
 
Hello. I'm writing in response to your 11/2012 Clinical Psychiatry News
article re CPT coding, to let you and the other Shrink Rap people know
about a free web-based interactive teaching resource I developed for
helping people learn CPT coding for psychiatry, trying to get the word
out. I don't know if you'd actually want to link to it in a CPN note or
something, because it's not "official" from any organization, but I
think your members and others might want to know about it in some way or
other, and it's new enough (I finished it mid-February) and I'm small
enough (just a person, not some organization with a big site and high
traffic) that it doesn't really show up much in web searches about that
sort of thing. It hasn't gotten a lot of hits as yet,but I have had very
positive feedback from people who've used it.

Anyway, if you look at it and think it would be useful to people, please
do whatever seems best to make people aware of it as a resource - I
think it's one of the best ways to master coding quickly, and I don't
know why none of our organizations did something like this themselves to
let people get hands-on and see the nuts and bolts in action. Your
article noted, "Dr. Schmidt suggested I buy a manual on how to use E/M
codes and noted, “There probably is not a way to make learning this
easy.” The truth be told, I want a way for this to be easy." I think you
might actually agree that maybe now there is, or about as easy as it can
be (or if not, I'd like to know, since that was my goal, lol - looking
for something like this and not finding it (except a very crude
implementation on soapnotes.org) was what motivated me to create it)

The link to the page is here:
http://home.midmaine.com/~mtpmd/PsychCodeCoach.html

and it's most easily/directly found in searches by "psychiatric code coach".


9 comments:

Joel Hassman, MD said...

I'll be posting on this matter at my blog by tomorrow afternoon, based on what Dr Roy had printed in the April Clinical Psychiatry News column.

Really, is it surprising that insurers are not reimbursing appropriately? And that the CPT coding changes would not have consequences that the hierarchy behind it were not more preemptive in trying to avoid?

When's the next seminar?!

Joel Hassman, MD said...

Posted about this on Sunday. I guess your colleague is not interested in my opinion. Well, it isn't very supportive, I would agree with that!

Dinah said...

Joel, If you want someone to read something, it helps to leave a link. Also, I don't think Roy reads the comments very often anymore....I may be the only one who has read all 18,000+ of them. Clink does read a lot of them.

Joel Hassman, MD said...

He can link my name, it is a post from April 28th, and the empty lecture hall picture is an easy givaway!

face it, he either won't read it, or won't want to read it!!!

by the way, for this comment, the easiest blog "not a robot" repeat comment I have ever had here.

Dinah said...

I may be wrong, but my read on social media has been that one provides a link and makes it very easy and obvious for the reader.

Joel, you may be right that he won't read it, I personally like having links, but if I spent my time reading everything that everyone wants me to read, or says I would like, or worse, says that as a psychiatrist I SHOULD read it, I would be reading for 30 hours a day. In terms of getting Roy's attention -- and I've been at it for years --- there is one way: "Do you want to eat?" He likes eating. He doesn't like reading.

PS. Roy -- your're the best.

Joel Hassman, MD said...

My last comment about this post:

You people have been doing this for 7 years, it isn't rocket science to find what a commenter is writing about, so I don't get the debate about my original comment.

Frankly, I think that APA members are either clueless, or, buy into the agenda that the organization is setting by the recurrent attitude of doing what is in the best interests of the APA alone, so, such members support that attitude.

Even more frankly, if not downright rude and offensive on my part, to support the outright disingenuous agenda of the CPT coding changes, I hope it hurts those who support such stupid intentions! People who claim to represent physicians and then put this crap out there are only enemies for the profession, not allies!! Yeah, just my opinion, one of 20 years!!!

And I have personal issues with Dr Daviss, which only he should address with me at my site, and if really personal, I will not print it! It is time to put up, or just shut up! I am truly sorry to write this to you, Dinah, I have worked with you in the past, I know you are a responsible and ethical colleague, but, others, well, not impressed!!!

If you choose to remove this comment, I respect that. I am very unhappy with CPT coding changes, and that should be painfully obvious with my comments at your blog for the past 5 or so months.

Tell Roy to read what I have written here and at my blog, not just the last post, but to search "CPT coding" for my site and read it all. If he still thinks I am out of line, I respect his point of view. I won't lie, I won't say I respect his agenda as it stands.

Be well, be safe.

Joel Hassman, MD

ironic that the "not a robot" word is "prisoner". Appropo!!!

Unknown said...

Dinah nudged me to come over and read comments here. True, I mostly only look when someone alerts me directly.

Joel, I will follow the breadcrumbs you have left and find the post you are referring to and look at it. I don't just read things that fit my "agenda" (whatever that means); on the contrary, I look for balance.

One thing that came to mind as I read your comments, is my perception that you think APA members are a monolithic bunch, mere lemmings who follow the mothership ("I think that APA members are either clueless, or, buy into the agenda..."). Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you will be in SF on May 17-18, come to the Assembly and listen to the discussions. Better yet, join the APA and help make changes from the inside. That is a much better strategy than the lone wolf method.

Joel Hassman, MD said...

Dr Daviss:

Thank you for your reply, I hope my perspective is at least of some interest to read.

I will not be in SF, so hope this Assembly will be of value.

For whatever it is worth to you, I left the APA back in 1995 because I saw no real hope nor interest in the organization for true change and challenge to outside intrusions, Managed Care being the primary issue then. And watching the yearly President nominations, I believe a group's definition starts with the person who is deemed the leader.

The APA does not show any interest in change still. I respect you have the interest to make change, as you write, but, the hierarchy is just like that of political groups.

Individuality and autonomy are threats to status quo organizations. That is what I am about. But, good luck in your efforts.

Joel Hassman, MD

Anonymous said...

Well, I'd like to thank Dr. Miller for posting my note to her, even tho I don't see the relevance of the subsequent comments, or of sniping at each other about what a fiasco the CPT switchover was or that the APA can be etc.

The tool has nothing to do with the APA, nor the AMA's CPT racket, it's just something I collegially created on my own, gratis, to help people do something that's been difficult for people, and that (for the most part) they're gonna hafta do whether they like it or not, and I don't make any money off it. In fact, it was an actually an effort in and toward "individuality and autonomy", lol.

The other blog post referenced doesn't really have anything at all to do with the original note posted here, even tho presented as being relevant (I don't really know anyone who's been happy with the CPT changes, and know lots of people not happy with the APA, but all that's really a whole different issue), or with learning CPT coding, or helping each other, and despite my appreciation she helped me spread the word about it, I'm a little bemused by how that instead seems to have gotten co-opted to a different agenda, and then also to a minor flamewar about that agenda. Such is the internet, I guess, lol.

At any rate, my thanks once more to Dr. Miller - just for follow-up, the posting has lead to a steady trickle of hits on the page, and I hope it's been helpful to folks, so, thanks.

Regards,

Michael Price