What requirement is essential for coding in M1342 regarding healing?

In M1342, the critical requirement for coding related to wound healing is that the wound must have fully re-epithelialized. This means that the outer layer of skin has completely recovered and closed over, indicating that the healing process is complete. Fully re-epithelialized wounds are signified by the absence of open lesions, making it a definitive marker of healing status.

When a wound has fully re-epithelialized, it signifies that the body has successfully completed the repair phase, transitioning the wound from an open state to one that is closed and healed. This is essential for accurate coding in OASIS-E as it pertains to the assessment of the patient's current health status and the effectiveness of the interventions they have received.

While other factors like the presence of ongoing visible healing, absence of infection, and a reassessment by a different clinician could influence the overall patient assessment, they do not serve as definitive markers for coding in this specific context as fully re-epithelialized does. Therefore, the completeness of epithelial tissue restoration is the key requirement for compliance in this coding.