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inpatient - coding

Posted: Aug 09, 2012

Does anyone work as an inpatient coder only. I mean the only thing you code are the inpatient stays, not a mix of other stuff too. Are there jobs like that?

You mean a CCS? - nm

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x

Yes, lots of them. - Why?

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nm

why? - Because

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Because when I search for IP coder jobs, they always list other things in the job description, ER, OP Surg, etc. I never see one that is just IP alone, which is what I want. So wondered if places hire people just for that, or if they expect you to do all the other jobs also.

Cart before the horse - sm

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I see what you are getting at, I think. Your questions indicate that you are not yet a coder. You have come to the conclusion that inpatient coding is all that you want to do, but you annot find job listings that seem to be only inpatient coding.

There are tons of inpatient jobs where all you do is code inpatient records, but job listings will often include other types of coding.

I wonder how you decided that only inpatient would suit you. If you are not a coder and do not even know if there are inpatient-only jobs, it does not seem as though you could have enough information to make that decision. It may be that you are using incorrect information or are misunderstanding something. We might be able to clear that up.

One thing you should know is that the inpatient CCS exam does cover outpatient and CPT coding. Hospitals do have outpatient surgery departments, EDs, and other outpatient-based services, which are coded using CPT and outpatient diagnosis coding rules. If you just wish to avoid learning that, it will be impossible.

I guess I am just unable to unerstand why you would want to avoid a part of most hospital jobs. It will be difficult to do that in the long term. Perhaps if yu can explain your reasoning we can help more effectively.

Thanks - I

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I know hospitals have all those going on, but does one person do all, or do they separate the jobs? I simply wondered if anyone had worked where they do separate, if they hire one coder for IP charts, one coder for surgeries, one coder for ER.

Inpatient coders - On site MT

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I'm an MT but I know some people who work as inpatient coders. They code the entire hospital stay, from admission to discharge. Operative reports are included in many of those stays. There are also separate outpatient coders who do nothing else and code ER visits and day surgeries, but every facility is different.

Specialization is typical - Coder

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Most facilities of any size have specialized coders. Some coders do only inpatient stays and others do outpatient work. At smaller facilities, coders may be jacks of all trades.

Inpatient and outpatient coding use different rules, different code sets, and different types of records. They require different thinking, making it difficult to switch from one to the other. Some coders prefer one or the other. Others find they have too much trouble or do not have the medical knowledge to deal with long records from entire hospital stays, preferring to code short encounters. Those who enjoy the detailed analysis of long records may find outpatient work boring.

There is often a pay gradient involved. Easier coding like clinic and ED encounters pays less than outpatient surgery, and both pay less than inpatient. (The exception is interventional radiology, which beats them all.) It makes sense to keep coders working on what they are being paid to do.

Remember that coders work in settings outside of hospitals. There are more outpatient coders working outside hospitals than there are coders in hospitals.

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