SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Implementing a Billing and Coding Curriculum for Residents Pursuing a Career in Hospital Medicine

Pdf Summary

This document describes a billing and coding curriculum created for residents interested in hospital medicine at UC San Diego. The program was launched in 2019 and embedded into a one-year Hospital Medicine Pathway during PGY-3 for up to four selected residents. It was designed to address a common training gap: residents often receive little or no education in inpatient billing, coding, and documentation, despite the fact that errors can lead to audit penalties and financial harm to patients and health systems.<br /><br />The curriculum is delivered during a 4-week “Junior Hospitalist” block, where residents work one-on-one with faculty hospitalists and attend twice-weekly hospital medicine didactics. To reinforce learning, residents complete weekly mock history and physical exams and progress notes with their attending. They also use a “Billing/Coding for Beginners” guide and receive detailed answer sheets for mock cases. In addition, each resident practices billing and coding at least four progress notes per week, with faculty review.<br /><br />Topics include billing levels for initial and subsequent inpatient care, time-based billing, prolonged services, non-face-to-face time, advance care planning, critical care time, and discharge summaries.<br /><br />Early survey results from eight residents suggested the curriculum was effective: before the program, most reported no prior inpatient billing/coding training, and after the curriculum, all respondents felt more confident with inpatient billing/coding.<br /><br />The authors conclude that although the sample size is small and the curriculum is still new, it is a promising step toward improving residency education in an area that is increasingly important for hospital medicine.

Asset Subtitle

Ali Farkhondehpour

Meta Tag

Author List Ali Farkhondehpour, John Bell

Category Innovations

Concept Inpatient Billing

Concept Coding

Concept Clinical Documentation

Concept Evaluation and Management Service

Concept Initial Hospital Care

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of California San Diego

Presenting Author Ali Farkhondehpour

Track Other

Keywords

billing and coding

hospital medicine

residency curriculum

inpatient documentation

PGY-3 residents

Junior Hospitalist block

mock history and physical

progress notes

time-based billing

advance care planning

Inpatient Billing

Coding

Clinical Documentation

Evaluation and Management Service

Initial Hospital Care