each patient’s care across all settings, including the home ...” [emphasis added].34 For those already in practice, one of the hardest parts of doing home visits is feeling alone, especially if few other providers in your community engage in home care. As you run into questions and challenges with incorporating home care of patients into your practice, one excellent resource is the American Academy of Home Care Medicine (www. aahcm.org/). Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Chicago, it not only provides numerous helpful resources, but serves as a networking tool for physicians involved in home care. This unprecedented pandemic has allowed home visits to shine As depicted in our opening patient case, patients who have high-risk conditions and 512 THE JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE | DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 69, NO 10 TABLE 2 Suggested items to include in a home-visit template Patient demographic information Date of home visit Individuals present during home visit History of the present illness Pertinent review of systems Pertinent medical history Active problem list Current medications Allergies Social history • primary caregivers at home • assessment of caregiver stress • current community resources assisting this patient (include contact numbers) Physical exam Other evaluations to include as indicated • Nutrition assessment • Fall risk assessment • Home safety assessment • PHQ-9 depression screening • Mini-Mental State Exam • Activities of daily living assessment: - bathing and grooming - dressing - toileting and continence - transferring - self-feeding • Instrumental activities of daily living assessment: - cleaning and maintaining the house - managing money - preparing meals - doing laundry - shopping - taking medicines as directed - using the phone - driving or managing transportation outside the home Assessment/plan • New recommendations • Medication refills needed? • Durable medical equipment needed? • Health maintenance/screenings due? PHQ, patient health questionnaire. TABLE 3 CPT coding for home visits To determine the associated reimbursements, go to www.cms.gov/apps/physician-feeschedule/license-agreement.aspx, click “accept” at the bottom of the screen, and enter any of the CPT codes listed here. New patient Code Level of care 99341 Problem-focused 99342 Expanded problem-focused 99343 Detailed 99344 Comprehensive Established patient Code Level of care 99347 Problem-focused 99348 Expanded problem-focused 99349 Detailed 99350 Comprehensive CPT, current procedural terminology those who are older than 65 years of age may be cared for more appropriately in a home visit rather than having them come to the office. Home visits may also be a way for providers to “lay eyes” on patients who do not have technology available to participate in virtual visits. Before performing a home visit, inquire as to whether the patient has symptoms of COVID-19. Adequate PPE should be donned at all times and social distancing should be practiced when appropriate. With adequate PPE, home visits may also allow providers to care for low-risk patients known to have COVID-19 and thereby minimize risks to staff and other patients in the office. JFP CORRESPONDENCE Curt Elliott, MD, Prisma Health USC Family Medicine Center, 3209 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203; curtis.elliott@ uscmed.sc.edu. References 1. Unwin BK, Tatum PE. House calls. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83:925- 938. 2. Adelman AM, Fredman L, Knight AL. House call practices: a comparison by specialty. J Fam Pract. 1994;39:39-44. 3. Sairenji T, Jetty A, Peterson LE. Shifting patterns of physician home visits. J Prim Care Community Health. 2016;7:71-75. 4. Ornstein KA, Leff B, Covinsky K, et al. Epidemiology of the homebound population in the United States. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175;1180-1186. 5. CMS. Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition ("CPT®"). HOME VISITS MDEDGE.COM/FAMILYMEDICINE VOL 69, NO 10 | DECEMBER 2020 | THE JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE 513 www.cms.gov/apps/physician-fee-schedule/license-agreement. aspx. Accessed November 30, 2020. 6. Elkan R, Kendrick D, Dewey M, et al. Effectiveness of home based support for older people: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2001;323:719-725. 7. Stuck AE, Egger M, Hammer A, et al. Home visits to prevent nursing home admission and functional decline in elderly people: systematic review and meta-regression analysis. JAMA. 2002;287: 1022-1028. 8. Stall N, Nowaczynski M, Sinha SK. Systematic review of outcomes from home-based primary care programs for homebound older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62:2243-2251. 9. Prosman GJ, Lo Fo Wong SH, van der Wouden JC, et al. Effectiveness of home visiting in reducing partner violence for families experiencing abuse: a systematic review. Fam Pract. 2015;32:247-256. 10. Han L, Ma Y, Wei S, et al. Are home visits an effective method for diabetes management? A quantitative systematic review and metaanalysis. J Diabetes Investig. 2017;8:701-708. 11. McWhinney IR. Fourth annual Nicholas J. Pisacano Lecture. The doctor, the patient, and the home: returning to our roots. J Am Board Fam Pract. 1997;10:430-435. 12. Kao H, Conant R, Soriano T, et al. The past, present, and future of house calls. Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25:19-34. 13. American Public