1. Handwritten, recorded, or transcribed typed notes by a mental health clinician that document or analyze conversations between therapists and clients during individual, family, or group psychotherapy counseling sessions. These notes are retained separate and apart from the medical record. However, notes relative to therapy such as information shared in training in consultation with other clinicians, a summary of symptoms, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or process of treatment are not psychotherapy notes and are known as psychiatric information. Billing for treatment of psychiatric disorders and psychotherapy falls under CPT codes 90804 through 90899 in the CPT Medicine Section. 2. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), notes recorded in any medium by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separated from the rest of the individual’s medical record. Psychotherapy notes excludes medication prescription and monitoring, counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date. Under HIPAA, a clinician is not required to disclose the original psychotherapy notes to the patient. Generally a summary of the notes is done to satisfy a patient’s request.

Abbreviation that means per thousand members per year.

Science that deals with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), an agency or authority of the United States: a state; a territory; a political subdivision of a state, a territory, or an Indian tribe; or a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from or contract with such public agency including the employees or agents of such public agency or its contractors, persons, or entities to whom it has granted authority that is responsible for public health matters as part of its official mandate.

Registered nurse who works with families in the home, in schools, at the workplace, in government agencies, and at major health facilities. PHNs must complete a baccalaureate degree program approved by the National League for Nursing (NLN) or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) for public health nursing preparation or after registered nurse study. A certification program sponsored by the Division of Community Health Nursing of the American Nurses Association is also available.

Nonidentifiable data that are within the public domain.

Branch of medicine that relates to diseases of the respiratory system (i.e., lungs and aorta).

Type of payment between two federal agencies.

Test purchased from an outside supplier on behalf of the patient such as an electrocardiograph, x-ray, or ultrasound. The physician does not personally perform or supervise the test.