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What is an interval history?

Question:

What does it mean when it says a code requires an “interval” history? This question related to the 1995/1997 Documentation Guidelines.

Answer:

It is a history that does not require past medical, family, or social history.

An interval history is needed for a subsequent hospital visit or subsequent nursing facility visit. CPT® wording is, “an interval expanded focused history” or “an interval detailed history,” depending on the level of visit.

The definition of an interval history is found in the Documentation Guidelines, and here is the citation. First, the definition of PFSH, and then the definition of interval history.

The PFSH consists of a review of three areas:

  • past history (the patient’s past experiences with illnesses, operations, injuries and treatments);
  • family history (a review of medical events in the patient’s family, including diseases which may be hereditary or place the patient at risk); and
  • social history (an age appropriate review of past and current activities).

For the categories of subsequent hospital care, follow-up inpatient consultations and subsequent nursing facility care, CPT® requires only an “interval” history. It is not necessary to record information about the PFSH.

Effectively that means for a detailed interval history, the requirement are: four HPI elements or the status of three chronic conditions and two systems from the review of systems. Past medical, family, and social history are not required.

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Last revised April 14, 2022 - Betsy Nicoletti
Tags: level of service_history

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Our mission is to provide accurate, comprehensive, up-to-date coding information, allowing medical practices to increase revenue, decrease coding denials and reduce compliance risk. That's what coding knowledge can do.

In 1988, CodingIntel.com founder Betsy Nicoletti started a Medical Services Organization for a rural hospital, supporting physician practice. She has been a self-employed consultant since 1998. She estimates that in the last 20 years her audience members number over 28,400 at in person events and webinars. She has had 2,500 meetings with clinical providers and reviewed over 43,000 medical notes. She knows what questions need answers and developed this resource to answer those questions. For more about Betsy visit www.betsynicoletti.com.

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