Documentation guidelines: AMA tips hat to final draft.

Abstract

The long-awaited documentation guidelines from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) still have not been finalized, but recommendations recently published by an advisory panel are likely to be close to the final version. Currently, you can choose between HCFA's 1995 or 1997 documentation guidelines, whichever is more advantageous. The American College of Emergency Physicians gave significant input to the recommendations, including the approach to physical exams. The major area of controversy involves whether there should be counting of specific elements of the exam.