The face sheet lists admission type as elective, but the history and physical describes an emergent transfer for acute abdomen. What should the coder do before final coding?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Face sheet says “elective,” H&P screams emergency transfer—that is a red flag, not a shrug. Get the admission type straightened out before you lock the codes. Ignoring the clash just ships bad data.
Full Explanation
Conflicting admission type or status between administrative face-sheet data and clinical documentation must be resolved with clarification before final coding. Coders should not default blindly to either source or fabricate dual values. Accurate admission-type resolution supports compliant abstracting and reporting.