Teaching residents coding and documentation: Effectiveness of a problem-oriented approach

Objective We sought to assess the effectiveness of a problem-oriented approach to teaching residents accurate coding and documentation of ambulatory gynecology visits. Study design This was a pilot before-and-after study. Nine resident volunteers underwent 4 individual instructional sessions on coding and documentation with a trained faculty member over 6 weeks. Outcomes were assessed by comparing the appropriateness of procedure and diagnostic codes billed in participant continuity clinic prior to and in the 6 to 9 months following the intervention. Results Following the intervention, participants demonstrated an increase in the accuracy of coding the correct category of the evaluation and management service, an increase in the appropriate use of modifiers, and a decline in undercoding errors. Conclusion Problem-oriented interactive learning appears to be an effective method of teaching residents proper coding and documentation.