The Next Step 2012: Advanced Medical Coding - Softcover

Learning advanced medical coding concepts is easy with Carol J. Buck's proven, step-by-step method! The Next Step: Advanced Medical Coding, 2012 Edition provides an in-depth understanding of physician-based medical coding and coding services such as medical visits, diagnostic testing and interpretation, treatments, surgeries, and anesthesia. Patient cases reflect actual medical records -- with personal details changed or removed -- and give you real-world experience coding from physical documentation with advanced material. Enhance your clinical decision-making skills and learn to confidently pull the right information from documents, select the right codes, determine the correct sequencing of those codes, properly audit cases, and prepare for the 2013 transition to ICD-10-CM with the help of Carol J. Buck!

• Carol J. Buck's proven step-by-step approach guides you through difficult concepts in the most direct, straightforward manner to ensure complete understanding.
• Realistic patient cases simulate the professional coding experience by using actual medical records (with personal patient details changed or removed), allowing you to practice coding with advanced material.
• Dual Coding prepares you for the switch to ICD-10 by accompanying all ICD-9 answers with corresponding codes from ICD-10-CM.
• More than 160 illustrations and a full-color design make advanced concepts more accessible and visually engaging.
• UNIQUE! Evaluation and Management (E/M) Audit Forms, developed to determine the correct E/M codes, simplify the coding process and help you ensure accuracy.
• From the Trenches boxes in each chapter highlight real-life medical coders and provide practical tips, advice, and encouragement.

• Updated content reflects the latest developments in coding so you can practice with the most current information.
• Auditing cases in every chapter offer realistic experience with auditing coded reports. 
• UNIQUE! Netter anatomy plates in each chapter help you understand anatomy and how it affects coding.