Medical necessity and diagnostic specificity

Document the clinical picture so diagnoses and services are supported.

Audience: Providers, coders, CDI specialists | Updated 2026-07-21

Support the diagnosis

  • Link each diagnosis to supporting findings, assessment, and plan.
  • Document severity, acuity, laterality, and etiology when known.

Avoid common gaps

  • Avoid unsupported abbreviations and copied-forward text that no longer applies.
  • State clinical reasoning in the assessment, not only a list of diagnoses.