The transition to ICD-10-CM is coming. The only question is when. Despite the delay, coders and other HIM professionals must continue to prepare for the transition.
Most HIM directors have October 2013 looming in their minds as the ICD-10 implementation deadline. But according to many experts, coders should be coding in both ICD-9 and ICD-10 well in advance of that date.
They are becoming as common in healthcare as a stethoscope draped around a physician's neck. Check the pocket of a doctor's white coat, and you're likely to find a mobile device, whether it be a tablet computer or a smartphone.
Technology is changing rapidly, and it's creating big challenges for healthcare organizations when it comes to protecting PHI. Privacy and security officers should keep an eye on these changes-from more mobile devices to social media to cloud computing-over the next several months, according to a group of industry prognosticators.
