Name of the Procedure:

Patient not screened for tobacco use, reason not given (HCPCS Code: G9905)

Summary

This code is used to indicate that a patient was not screened for tobacco use and no reason was provided for the omission.

Purpose

• Addresses: This code helps in identifying and documenting instances where patients have not been screened for tobacco use.
• Goals: The goal is to highlight gaps in tobacco screening practices to improve patient care and ensure that all patients are appropriately screened.

Indications

• This code is used when a patient visit occurs and there is no documented tobacco use screening without a specified reason.
• Appropriate for any patient where tobacco use screening should be standard practice, particularly adults.

Preparation

No special preparation is required since this code is used for documentation purposes rather than an active medical procedure.

Procedure Description

No physical or active procedure is involved in using this code. It is a documentation process performed by healthcare professionals during a patient's visit to indicate that tobacco use screening was not done and no reason was given for this omission.

Duration

N/A - This is a documentation code used during the patient visit.

Setting

• Clinics
• Hospitals
• Outpatient facilities
• Any healthcare setting where patient visits occur and tobacco screening should be documented.

Personnel

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Medical coders
• Administrative staff

Risks and Complications

• Risks: There are no direct physical risks as this is not an active medical procedure.
• Complications: Failure to screen patients for tobacco use can result in missed opportunities for intervention, potentially leading to poorer health outcomes related to tobacco use.

Benefits

• Benefits: Improves identification of gaps in care. Promotes accountability and encourages consistent screening practices.
• Realization of Benefits: Benefits are realized through improved quality of patient care and more effective tobacco use intervention programs over time.

Recovery

N/A - As this is a documentation code, there is no recovery process involved.

Alternatives

There are no direct alternatives to the use of this code, as it serves a specific documentation purpose. The alternative lies in ensuring proper tobacco use screening according to standard healthcare practices.

Patient Experience

• During the Documentation: Patients may not even be aware that this code is being applied during their visit.
• After the Documentation: There is no impact on patient comfort or experience directly related to the coding process, but lack of screening can indirectly affect patient health outcomes.