Dive Brief:
- The American Medical Association said its 2023 Current Procedural Terminology code set, released Friday, contains burden-reducing revisions to the codes and guidelines for providers.
- The updates to the data-sharing terminology for medical procedures and services are intended to make coding and documentation easier and more flexible, freeing providers from time-wasting administrative tasks that are clinically irrelevant to providing high-quality care to patients, the AMA said.
- The modifications follow the 2021 revisions made to the evaluation and management codes for office visit services. They extend to inpatient and observation care services, consultations, emergency department services, nursing facility services, home and residence services and prolonged services.
Dive Insight:
Administrative tasks in medicine are a driver of physician burnout, an issue that came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AMA said reducing administrative burdens is a central pillar of its Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians, and the code initiative builds on that effort. The doctor group has said its goal is to help physicians “rediscover the joy” in healthcare.
There are 10,969 codes in the CPT set that describe the medical procedures and services available to patients. Modifications to the evaluation and management codes are among 393 editorial changes in the 2023 set, including 225 new codes, 75 deletions and 93 revisions, the AMA said.
To help clinicians get the full benefit of administrative relief from the code revisions, the group said it is offering an extensive online resource library of videos, guides and educational modules to assist with the transition.
Among the changes in the code set is a new appendix with guidance for classifying artificial intelligence-powered medical service applications such as expert systems, machine learning and algorithm-based solutions into one of three categories: assistive, augmentative or autonomous.
Other additions to the code set address virtual reality technology in skill-building therapy for social communication, emotional regulation and daily functional skills in people with neurodevelopmental disorders and services used in place of anesthesia during procedures to increase tolerance and reduce pain and anxiety.
The list for remote monitoring services will get a new code to report cognitive behavior therapy beyond the walls of a medical practice for a range of physical and mental health disorders.
New medical techniques and technology also prompted the creation of 15 new codes to report anterior abdominal hernia repair services. The update addresses correct reporting for hybrid abdominal hernia repair where parts of the procedure are performed via an open approach and parts are performed via laparoscopy or with a robot.