Coding for Mild Cognitive Impairment
Appropriate coding when providing skilled therapy interventions for individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) begins by obtaining an adequate understanding of the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Current diagnostic criteria for MCI include: a. reported change in cognition, which is preferably corroborated by an informant in comparison with previous level with concern of patient, family, or clinician with one or more impaired cognitive domains for age and education. b. decline which is evident over time and greater than expected for age and education in a variety of domains including memory, executive function, attention, language, visuospatial skills, and episodic memory. c. not normal, not demented. d. intact activities of daily living (Albert et al., 2011). Individual may present with mild problems with complex tasks such as paying bills, preparing a meal, and shopping and may require more time and be less efficient, with more errors during tasks.