CMS requirement for timed documentation

[Guest guest]

Our state department just completed a visit to our hospital this week, and after

reviewing several outpatient charts instructed me that CMS requires a " time of

signature " on the notes for inpatient and outpatient charting. We document

duration of treatment time, although he states that " Medicare is pushing this "

(documenting time of signature) at this time. I do not understand the

significance of this. This does not mean that they require " time in-time out "

as the time. In reviewing other posts, especially Rick Gawenda's, I have never

seen this as a requirement. Can someone please clarify.

Thanks,

Matt Dvorak, PT

Yankton, SD