By many accounts, large tech-savvy healthcare providers are thus far the most prepared for the ICD-10 conversion.
So what can the rest learn from their ICD-10 headway?
There are three articles that offer valuable lessons from hospitals that are in the midst of their ICD-10 transitions:
- Computer-Assisted Coding at the Cleveland Clinic: A Strategic Solution: Addressing Clinical Documentation Improvement, ICD-10-CM/PCS Implementation, and More (Journal of AHIMA)
- ICD-10 Feature Story: Ticking Time Clock-or bomb? (HDM Latest News Article)
- Failing to Prep for ICD-10 Will Cost You (HealthLeaders Media)
1. Embrace technology
New York University Langone Medical Center expects decreased productivity during and after the ICD-10 transition. One of the ways it can soften that hit is to help clinicians and medical coders with tools such as computer assisted coding (CAC) tools.
The Cleveland Clinic Health System is using its CAC system to help clinicians understand the ICD-10 transition and improve clinical documentation. It already has improved productivity, satisfaction and query rates.
2. Hire enough help
Again, NYU Langone expects decreased productivity processing medical claims and bills. They already have hired more medical coders to keep workflow going.
And there needs to be efforts to keep those medical coders trained and satisfied. Keeping them on the job is much easier than replacing properly-trained medical coders after Oct. 1. ICD-10 coding will be a skill set in much demand next year.
3. Practice makes better medical claims
Methodist Hospital in Memphis has purchased an ICD-10 training tool that uses actual medical records. It teaches medical coders how to process the kind of medical cases in the DRGs that they encounter as part of work.
This makes dual coding much more efficient by making it directly part of training. That addresses some of the cost and productivity issues that have healthcare providers reluctant to code cases in both code sets.
Another option is the CAC system currently used by Children’s Hospital Colorado that assigns ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. This offers insights on how reimbursements and documentation may be affected after Oct. 1. It also gives medical coders guidance on how to assign ICD-10 codes.
