Performance of current procedural terminology codes by oncology nurses: a report to the ONS board of directors

At the request of the ONS Board of Directors, a survey was conducted to determine the degree to which oncology nurses performed services listed in the Physicians Current Procedural Terminology manual--services for which physicians are reimbursed. Using a format modeled on a similar study of nurses in general, 100 randomly selected ONS members were asked to describe the degree to which they performed a list of 90 coded procedures compiled by four oncology nurse experts. Response rate was 43%. Respondents, who were representative of the ONS membership on all demographic variables except education, performed an average of 32 of the procedures with very little, if any, direct physician supervision. Study results reflect trends found among nurses in general and raise important questions about patterns of reimbursement and healthcare delivery.