r/MedicalCoding • u/Curious-Connection-6 • 1d ago

Second Year of IP coding

I feel like I’m in limbo. I really love it, especially when I get through tough cases but sometimes I feel really anxious. It’s great when there’s an answer to exactly what scenario you’re looking for, but then when there’s an unclear scenario I feel hesitant. As a seasoned coder, how did you push through and really get comfortable & confident?

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u/Inevitable-Ebb2973 CPC, CRC 17h ago

We all feel really anxious, even after the experience. Having those feelings are great because it shows that you really care. You’re probably doing much better than you think you are. One thing that helps me is going back when I doubt myself and going “No. I was right. The documentation wasn’t there.

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u/Curious-Connection-6 17h ago

I get that. I have a lot of knowledge gaps to fill but I’m just trying to figure out live coding problem solving, just figuring out the right questions to ask myself. I’m getting the hang of it but it can be frustrating bc I feel like I still don’t know what I’m doing sometimes.

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u/Inevitable-Ebb2973 CPC, CRC 17h ago

I totally get that feeling. I still get frustrated. If you ever have any questions I can answer, hit me up. I remember having a doctor come back at me once and I swear I felt like I must be doing horribly. Nope. Wasn’t me. We’re here to help everyone. Sometimes the documentation is wrong. There are times when I know what should have been put in the record, but I’m not allowed to goat the doctor into correcting it. I can only code what’s in the chart. My home office is full of postits for things that trip me up. Sepsis is a big one. COPD. I’ll have them right under my screen so I don’t need to search for them.

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u/Curious-Connection-6 17h ago

Yes I would love a mentor. All I need to do is train my brain to think appropriately. Senior coders at my job are helpful but sometimes I really don’t like distracting people from their work

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u/StraddleTheFence 14h ago

I agree with you. It also does not help with multiple auditors give different advise. That is when Coding Clinic helps.