Re: Pain coding on MDS

[Delores234]

What are the credentials of the medical record consultant?  Is she a nurse?  When I received my credential as a Registered Health Information Technician there were very few of us that were dually credentialed.

Most of my clients appreciate the fact that I view documentation from a dual perspective.

Delores

Tell your medical records consultant to be learey of what she hears at
seminars but has not been confirmed by CMS.  The manual and the MDS
states to code the frequency of pain which, in your case, would be a "2"
for daily and then to code the intensity which would be "3" for severe
pain.

No where in the manual does it state to code the frequency based on the
severity.  I would continue to code per manual instructions.

Brenda W. Chance, RN, RAC-C
MDS Coordinator


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-----Original Message-----
From: Sally Murphy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 3:17 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Pain coding on MDS

Our medical records consultant is here today and informs us that at a
recent seminar it was pointed out that if a resident has moderate pain
on 6 out of 7 days and severe pain on the other day that it should be
coded 1/3, pain less than daily and severe.  I find no instructions or
examples in the  RAI Manual that instruct us to do that.  After all, the
resident DID have pain daily.  I have always coded 2/3 in that instance.
What do you think?
Thanks, Sally

Delores L. Galias, RN, RHIT

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The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this message are intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify D. Galias, RN, RHIT immediately at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and destroy all copies of this message and any attachments.  Thank you for your cooperation