Healthcare Insights
Top 10 hematology and coagulation procedure codes
Hematology is the study of blood and medical disorders related to blood. Hematologists specialize in treating and diagnosing blood disorders such as anemia, infection, hemophilia, blood-clotting disorders, and leukemia.
Using Definitive Healthcare’s ClaimsMx product, we created a list of the 10 most frequent medical procedures related to hematology and coagulation for the year 2022.
Most frequent hematology related procedures
Rank | HCPCS/CPT code | HCPCS/CPT description | % Total procedures | Explore dataset |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 85025 | BLOOD COUNT COMPLETE AUTO & AUTO DIFRNTL WBC | 47.90% | Explore |
2 | 85027 | BLOOD COUNT COMPLETE AUTOMATED | 13.90% | Explore |
3 | 85610 | PROTHROMBIN TIME | 10.50% | Explore |
4 | 85018 | BLOOD COUNT HEMOGLOBIN | 9.20% | Explore |
5 | 85730 | THROMBOPLASTIN TIME PARTIAL PLASMA/WHOLE BLOOD | 4.70% | Explore |
6 | 85652 | SEDIMENTATION RATE RBC AUTOMATED | 2.50% | Explore |
7 | 85379 | FIBRIN DEGRADATION PRODUCTS, D-DIMER; QUANTITATIVE | 1.80% | Explore |
8 | 85014 | BLOOD COUNT HEMATOCRIT | 1.40% | Explore |
9 | 85048 | BLOOD COUNT LEUKOCYTE WBC AUTOMATED | 1.10% | Explore |
10 | 85041 | AUTOMATED RBC COUNT | 1.10% | Explore |
Fig. 1 Data is from Definitive Healthcare’s ClaimsMx product. Data is accurate as of January 2023 .
What are the most common hematology and coagulation-related procedures?
The most common hematology-related procedure is CPT code 85025, which is a medical test known as “complete blood count with auto differential” This is a very broad and common test that records the number and types of both red and white blood cells, as well as platelet counts and hemoglobin levels. This test is frequently included in both routine care and when patients are sick to rule out certain diagnoses or to monitor certain treatments. Because of this, it is unsurprising that this procedure makes up 47.9% of total procedures and takes the top spot on this list.
The second most common hematology-related procedure is CPT code 85027, which is another medical test simply known as “complete blood count” or “automated blood count.” This test is almost virtually identical to the previous test, except this test does not measure white blood cells. This test is usually conducted on patients with less serious blood related issues. Because it is much more common to test both kinds of blood cells, this test only accounts for 13.9% of total procedures.
The third most common hematology-related procedure is CPT code 85610, which is another blood test known as “prothrombin time.” Prothrombin is a liver-based protein that helps to maintain the appropriate levels of clotting in the blood. Unlike the first two, this test measures the time it takes for the blood to form a clot. This test is often performed before surgeries or if the patient is taking the blood thinning medication warfarin. This test accounts for 10.5% of all hematology procedures.
What is coagulation?
Coagulation is the process through which blood changes from a liquid to a thicker gel-like consistency. Coagulation is a part of the process known as hemostasis, which is how the body stops bleeding when necessary. When coagulation works the way it is supposed to, it is an essential way that the body heals wounds. When a blood vessel breaks due to a wound or other form or injury, coagulation forms a clot that seals the hole while the tissue repairs itself.
Why is hematology important to healthcare?
Hematology is important to healthcare because it involves the study of blood and life-threatening blood related illnesses.
Blood plays an important role in our overall health and immune system, so the numerous tests that hematologists perform are vital in ensuring that the human body can continue to fight off infections as well as transport proper nutrients to the parts of the body that need them. Without hematology, fighting illnesses all over the human body would become much more difficult.
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