Auditors are using inappropriate audit tools
There is an internal practice point system circulating across the United States that has become an accepted tool to audit a physician note. This point system was created by the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin for their internal use. One could argue it will work for primary care but it becomes a disastrous auditing tool for a specialist. What should concern everyone is that this internal tool has not been sanctioned by the American Medical Association nor to my knowledge has any specialty society agreed that this audit tool is acceptable to use for auditing a physician note. This Marshfield Clinic audit tool assigns a point system to the decision making of diagnosis, tests ordered and reviewed. For example the audit tool assigns one point no matter if the patient has a sore throat or a chronic illness diagnosis. If a physician orders Pet CT vs. a lab one point is assigned to the score. So auditors down-code a visit based on points that are not part of the 1995/1997 American Medical Association guidelines
Respectively submitted
Martin E Neltner