Fierce Healthcare September 17, 2019
When a patient is referred to see a specialist, it’s typically to receive highly skilled care from a doctor with very specific medical expertise.
Beyond performing sophisticated procedures, many specialists primarily spend hours each week conducting face-to-face visits with patients to perform examinations, diagnose diseases and coordinate care. These time-intensive services, which are referred to as “evaluation and management” (E/M) services, are crucial to diagnose complex and chronic diseases, help patients keep disease symptoms in check and avoid adverse reactions.
Prompt evaluation by a trained specialist is the first step toward early diagnosis and treatment—which, for many patients, means a lower likelihood of unnecessary complications, hospitalizations and costly procedures down the road.
Ready access to specialist E/M care also...