Case management notes document transfer to a skilled nursing facility, but the discharge disposition on the abstract still shows home. What should the facility coder do first?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Think of the discharge disposition like the last stop on a bus route—you cannot leave the rider at “home” when the trip sheet says SNF. When case management and the abstract disagree, chase the real discharge paperwork and fix the conflict before you lock the case.
Full Explanation
Discharge disposition conflicts affect data quality, quality reporting, and some payment policies. Coders should reconcile conflicting sources against the physician discharge order or summary and related case management documentation rather than picking the first value in registration. Changing the abstract without resolution, or suppressing the conflicting note, leaves an inaccurate patient status on the UB and quality abstract.