Physical Therapy Evaluation

Hi All,

we are a physical medicine/pain management clinic that uses in house physical therapy for supervised and unsupervised therapys. For example, we apply hot packs, traction, vasopneumatic therapy. Our Physician writes the orders for the therapy and a PT assistant does the therapy.

Here are my questions: When would the initial therapy evaluation code (97001) be used? Would it be used in place of the E&M? Only the physician is qualified to evaluate and in most cases, the therapy is scheduled for another day. So - if the physician is seeing a patient and the exam results in a referral for in house therapy how should this be coded?

thanks for all input.

Lisa Boylan

Physical Therapy Evaluation