CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 73-year-old patient’s primary care doctor sent her to the Emergency Department (ED) after multiple labs taken for continuing chest pains showed abnormal results. The patient, who had been suffering chest pain for more than a week and who was taking nitroglycerin, had a stent placed in April. The patient had an extensive […]
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CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 50-year-old patient was hospitalized overnight after arriving in the emergency room with constant left flank pain. The patient was seen in the emergency room (ER) the previous week with similar symptoms, which doctors diagnosed as a 5 mm, left proximal ureteral stone with mild hydroureteronephrosis. The patient was treated and sent home
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CLINICAL SUMMARY: Recently, physicians admitted a 73-year-old patient with an extensive medical history twice within an 8-day period. The patient required inpatient level of care (LOC) for both hospitalizations. The patient was hospitalized with pneumonia during the first inpatient stay, and the second inpatient hospitalization addressed exacerbated congestive heart failure (CHF). The patient arrived for
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CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 22-year-old patient, four weeks postpartum, arrived in the emergency department suffering from abdominal pain and nausea. An ultrasound revealed the common bile duct was dilated to 8 mm, and a CT scan showed gallstones. In addition to steatosis, the patient also had a positive Murphy’s sign. Lab tests performed during the patient’s
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CLINICAL SUMMARY: Two-Midnight Rule Helps Overturn Medicare Advantage Plan Inpatient Denial A 68-year-old patient with an extensive medical history arrived at the emergency room after three days of acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. The patient experienced nausea and observed bright red stool blood that persisted. The patient’s medical history included atrial fibrillation treated with an
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CLINICAL SUMMARY: Post-Surgery Inpatient Admission Deemed Medically Unnecessary Overturned A 52-year-old patient underwent a planned ventral incisional hernia operation, performed laparoscopically using an intraperitoneal onlay mesh placement. The patient was classified as ASA Class III, defined by the American Society for Anesthesiologists (ASA) for patients with “severe systemic disease that is not incapacitating” with a
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There is one relatively easy way hospitals can reduce claims denials: better clinical documentation. Insurance companies require documentation, and it is often the leading factor in level of care and admission denials. The importance of providing complete documentation never goes away. Treating physicians and utilization review managers must ensure that every admission includes: All the