Systems and methods for coding data from a medical encounter

1. A computer implemented method for controlling elements of a graphical user interface (GUI) for a medical data entry system, said method comprising:

configuring, at a processing device, a first GUI element to receive at least one input corresponding to at least one clinical concept associated with a diagnosis;

receiving, at said processing device, said at least one input corresponding to said at least one clinical concept associated with said diagnosis, wherein said at least one clinical concept is correlated with a plurality of diagnosis code values stored in a data base of said medical data entry system, wherein at least one diagnosis code value of said plurality of diagnosis code values is associated with a plurality of data requirements, wherein said at least one diagnosis code value is designated as a fully specified diagnosis code when said plurality of data requirements is met, wherein said plurality of data requirements includes one or more categories, having one or more selectable data items associated with each category of said one or more categories, said one or more selectable data items adapted to include a positive selection state and a negative selection state, and wherein said plurality of data requirements is considered met when at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been selected;

determining, in response to said receiving said at least one input, whether said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met;

generating a second GUI element for presenting a textual representation of each of the one or more selectable data items;

activating a graphical indicator on the second GUI element, said graphical indicator indicating that said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has not been met, and said graphical indicator indicating at least one category of the one or more categories for which an associated selectable data element has not been selected;

receiving a command to terminate said second GUI element; and

in response to said receiving said command:

activating one or more graphical cues on said textual representation of said each of the one or more selectable data items based on said category of said each of the one or more selectable data items, wherein said one or more graphical cues correspond to different categories of said one or more categories;

applying a first control command to said GUI to prevent said second GUI element from terminating;

configuring said second GUI element to receive at least one selection representing the positive selection state, or the negative selection state of at least one of the one or more selectable data items associated with each respective category for which an associated selectable data element has not been selected;

determining whether a selection of at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been received by said GUI;

in response to determining that a selection of at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been received by said GUI:

designating said at least one diagnosis code value as a fully specified diagnosis code;

modifying said graphical indicator to indicate that said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met; and

applying a second control command to said GUI to enable termination of said second GUI element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met comprises providing said fully specified diagnosis code to said user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said activating said one or more graphical cues on said textual representation of said each of the one or more selectable data items includes utilizing color to identify selectable data elements of a second category which represents that an item in said first category must be positively or negatively selected, wherein said utilizing color to identify selectable data elements of said first category is implemented with a different appearance than the color utilized to identify selectable data elements of said second category.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying a user when said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met by said positive or negative selection of said selectable data elements from each of said one or more categories, wherein said notifying said user when said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met comprises providing said fully specified diagnosis code to said user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said selection of at least one selectable data element is based on selectable information gathered during one or more phases of a patient encounter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said one or more phases include one or more of a history portion, physical examination portion, and a course portion.

7. A computer-based tool for controlling elements of a graphical user interface (GUI) for a medical data entry system, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing one or more devices to:

configure a first GUI element to receive at least one input corresponding to at least one clinical concept associated with a diagnosis;

receive said at least one input corresponding to said at least one clinical concept associated with said diagnosis, wherein said at least one clinical concept is correlated with a plurality of diagnosis code values stored in a data base of said medical data entry system, wherein least one diagnosis code value of said plurality of diagnosis values is associated with a plurality of data requirements, wherein said at least one diagnosis code value is designated as a fully specified diagnosis code when said plurality of data requirements is met, wherein said plurality of data requirements includes one or more categories having one or more selectable data items associated with each category of said one or more categories, said one or more selectable data items adapted to include a positive selection state and a negative selection state, and wherein said plurality of data requirements is considered met when at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been selected;

determine, in response to receiving said at least one input, whether said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met;

generate a second GUI element for presenting a textual representation of each of the one or more selectable data items;

activate a graphical indicator on the second GUI element, said graphical indicator indicating that said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has not been met, and said graphical indicator indicating at least one category of the one or more categories for which an associated selectable data element has not been selected;

receive a command to terminate said second GUI element; and

in response to said receive said command:

activate one or more graphical cues on said textual representation of said each of the one or more selectable data items based on said category of said each of the one or more selectable data items, wherein said one or more graphical cues correspond to different categories of said one or more categories;

apply a first control command to said GUI to prevent said second GUI element from terminating;

configure said second GUI element to receive at least one selection representing the positive selection state, or the negative selection state of at least one of the one or more selectable data items associated with each respective category for which an associated selectable data element has not been selected;

determine whether a selection of at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been received by said GUI; and

in response to determine that a selection of at least one selectable data item from each of said one or more categories has been received by said GUI:

designate said at least one diagnosis code value as a fully specified diagnosis code;

modify said graphical indicator to indicate that said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met; and

apply a second control command to said GUI to enable termination of said second GUI element.

8. The computer-based tool of claim 7 wherein said graphical indicator lists said at least one category of the one or more categories for which an associated selectable data element has not been selected.

9. The computer-based tool of claim 7 wherein activating said one or more graphical cues on said textual representation of said each of the one or more selectable data items includes code for causing one or more devices to utilize color to identify selectable data elements of a first category which represents that an item in said first category must be positively or negatively selected.

10. The computer-based tool of claim 9 wherein said activating said one or more graphical cues on said textual representation of said each of the one or more selectable data items includes code for causing one or more devices to utilize color to identify selectable data elements of a second category which represents that an item in said first category must be positively or negatively selected, wherein said code for causing the one or more devices to utilize color to identify said selectable data elements of said first category is implemented with a different appearance than the color utilized to identify said selectable data elements of said second category.

11. The computer-based tool of claim 7 , further code for causing the one or more devices to notify a user when said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met by said positive or negative selection of said selectable data elements from each of said one or more categories, wherein said code for causing the one or more devices to notify said user when said plurality of data requirements associated with said at least one diagnosis code value has been met comprises code for causing one or more devices to provide said fully specified diagnosis code to said user.

12. The computer-based tool of claim 7 wherein said selection of at least one selectable data element is based on selectable information gathered during one or more phases of a patient encounter.

13. The computer-based tool of claim 12 wherein said one or more phases include one or more of a history portion, physical examination portion, and a course portion.