Billing and Coding Education and Knowledge Among Military Orthopaedic Surgeons

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current level of billing and coding knowledge among resident and staff military orthopaedic surgeons. Design: Prospective survey, training, and assessment. Setting: Academic Military Level 1 Trauma Center. Intervention: Voluntary, anonymous survey relating to practice setting, billing, and coding practices, type of residency training and prior education on the subject. A quiz consisting of 23 questions to assess billing and coding knowledge. Main outcome measurement: Survey results and quiz scores. Results and conclusions: We had 68 responses comprised of 23 residents and 45 staff orthopaedic surgeons. Among residents, 86.14% (20/23) reported that they code encounters yet only 17.39% (4/23) responded that they have had formal training on billing and coding. 91.30% (21/23) felt that this topic should be taught in residency training. Among staff surgeons, 93.33% (42/45) code their own encounters and 42.22% (19/45) reported formal training on billing and coding. 93.33% (42/45) of staff felt that billing and coding should be taught in residency. The average quiz scores among residents and staff were 43.48% and 58.36%, respectively (p<0.0001). Scores among those with prior training in billing and coding were significantly higher overall (p= 0.033). Among staff there was no significant differences in scores related to years of experience, residency type, working with residents, years remaining in the military or participation in off-duty employment. Conclusion: There remains a paucity of formal training on billing and coding among military orthopaedic surgeons and this problem is not unique to military orthopaedic residency training programs. Those with formal training in billing and coding performed significantly better than those without, indicating that formal billing and coding training as part of graduate medical education may be effective in improving billing and coding knowledge among military orthopaedic surgeons.  Level of Evidence: IV; survey Keywords: Billing, Coding, Medical education, Practice management.