Biopsy - Other - code not available

Discussion

I have been finding that there are many patients that have various biopsies done that we can't code. Is this information useful for our data base? And if so, my suggestion is to code all other biopies under 848 - 14 ( under Post-op Surgeries - Other )--FLindell 15:26, 16 April 2009 (CDT)

• Good question and suggestion. Thank you Fran. The more specific the DX code is the better. Grouping under "Other" tends to be a mixed bag of information that is not really clear and I have found that this has ended up not being that useful. (we have a number of these types of code already). Adding more doesn't make the database better the key is the improve the quality and consistency of items we are currently collecting.
  • Good to bring up to discuss, but I think coding this as other is of very limited value. Either let's code it right, or let's not code it. I think we should bring Julie in on this. Has anyone requested biopsy info in the past? Does it have a bearing on our reports? Actually, this goes further - does Julie find the "other" categories useful from a data mining perspective? Is there value in these? Maybe things should be coded under the master code of something, unless specific info is known, in which case they would move to a sub-diagnosis. I will email Julie to request her input on this article. Ttenbergen 13:34, 20 April 2009 (CDT)

• current biopsy we do collect: SEE new category: Biopsy

772-00 Open Lung Biopsy

794-00 Liver Biopsy

806-08 Other Genitourinary Biopsy

831-00 Brain Biopsy

779-00 Bronchoscopy, 797-00 GI Scopes & 806 Cystoscopy, a biopsy may also be done with this diagnostic procedure but we don't specify this detail with our coding.

• keep in mind if we add a Dx code to the database to track it will take number of years to accumulate enough information before you can see any useful information. --TOstryzniuk 18:20, 16 April 2009 (CDT)