Demystifying the role of anaesthetists in clinical coding in the Australian healthcare system

Abstract

Despite the self-evident importance of hospital funding, many anaesthetists remain unsure of exactly how their daily work relates to hospital reimbursement. A lack of awareness of the nuances of the Australian hospital activity–based funding system has the potential to affect anaesthetic department reimbursement and thus resourcing. Activity-based funding relies on clinical coders reviewing clinical documentation and quantifying the care given to a patient during an admission. Errors in funding allocation may arise when there is a disconnect between the work performed and the information coded. In anaesthesia, there are several factors impeding this process, including clinical understanding of coding, system setup and coders’ understanding of anaesthesia. This article explores these factors from the clinical anaesthetist’s point of view and suggests solutions, such as awareness and education, clinician–coder cooperation and redesign of documentation systems at a systems level that anaesthetic departments can incorporate.