The time spent overseeing clinical staff is included in the time.

The time spent overseeing clinical staff is included in the time.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Not defined

Answer: (B)

The time-based approach to E/M coding counts the clinician’s total time spent on the patient’s care on the date of the encounter. That includes time spent with the patient and family, plus non-face-to-face activities directly related to the patient’s care (reviewing records, ordering tests, documenting, counseling, coordinating with other providers, and similar tasks). Time spent solely supervising or overseeing clinical staff is considered administrative or practice-management time and is not counted as part of the encounter’s care time unless that supervision directly relates to the patient’s care on that date. So the statement is not correct.

The time-based approach to E/M coding counts the clinician’s total time spent on the patient’s care on the date of the encounter. That includes time spent with the patient and family, plus non-face-to-face activities directly related to the patient’s care (reviewing records, ordering tests, documenting, counseling, coordinating with other providers, and similar tasks). Time spent solely supervising or overseeing clinical staff is considered administrative or practice-management time and is not counted as part of the encounter’s care time unless that supervision directly relates to the patient’s care on that date. So the statement is not correct.