Get Ready to Implement ICD-10 Medical Coding

ICD-10 education should be a major area of focus between now and the compliance date to minimize coding errors after implementation. In The Cost of Implementing ICD-10 for Physician Practices, the authors indicate that training clinical and administrative staff to use the new ICD-10 code set may require up to 16 hours for coding staff, eight hours for administrative staff and 12 hours for providers.¹

In response to this assessment, the ACR has created rheumatology-specific training with targeted learning for physicians, coders, billers and administrators. The training session includes a concentrated focus on clinical documentation improvement to reach the highest level of ICD-10 specificity, by accurately pinpointing problematic terms in ICD-9 and ICD-10, common documentation deficiencies in patient medical records, as well as steps to minimize the likelihood of cash flow disruption after Oct. 1.

For questions on ICD-10 implementation and/or impact, contact Antanya Chung at [email protected] or 404-633-3777 x818.

Join us at one of our upcoming training classes! These day-long in-depth workshops are designed to provide you and your staff with comprehensive training on ICD-10 and actionable steps necessary for transition.

For information on workshop availability or training opportunities in your area, contact Melesia Tillman at [email protected] or 404-633-3777 x820.

Reference

1. Hartley C, Nachimson S. The Cost of Implementing ICD-10 for Physician Practices—Updating the 2008 Nachimson Advisors Study. A Report to the American Medical Association. 2014 Feb 12.

Editor’s note: For more on the ICD-10 implementation, see “Prepare NOW for ICD-10 Medical Coding Transition.”