What is the primary focus of E/M services?

The primary focus of Evaluation and Management (E/M) services is patient evaluation and management. This involves assessing a patient’s health conditions, understanding their medical history, and determining the appropriate course of treatment. E/M services are critical in ensuring that healthcare providers can document and communicate effectively about the complexity and nature of the patient’s condition, as well as formulate a treatment plan based on their clinical findings.

E/M services include various activities such as reviewing the patient’s medical history, conducting physical examinations, and coordinating care with other healthcare providers. This process is pivotal in establishing a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s care needs, which is especially important in the context of varying levels of complexity and time involved.

While preventative care, diagnostic testing, and patient follow-up are important components of healthcare, they are elements that can occur as a result of the evaluation and management process rather than the primary focus of E/M services. E/M services set the foundation for these other elements by ensuring a thorough understanding of the patient’s overall health status and management needs.