Even though it is still two and a half years away, it’s not too early to begin preparation for the October 1, 2013, transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS. There’s much to do in concert with HIM professionals to develop the knowledge base and documentation infrastructure essential to accurate ICD-10-CM/PCS code capture and reporting.
As part of our yearlong celebration of MRB’s 25th birthday, this month we are featuring an interview with the newsletter’s founder, Jennifer Cofer Flanagan. Flanagan is also the founder of Opus Communications (now HCPro) and previously served as president of AHIMA (formerly the American Medical Record Association), as well as director of communications and professional practices for the organization. She is currently on the board of trustees for the North Shore Medical Center based in Salem, MA.
Many organizations develop physician documentation tip sheets based on the clinical topics appropriate to their specific facility. Some handouts are a simple piece of paper developed by a clinical documentation improvement team, whereas others are laminated, elaborately formatted cards from consulting companies distributed as part of the initial implementation program. Several samples donated by members of the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS) are available on its website at www.hcpro.com/acdis. (See p. 11 for a sample.)
“In my opinion, [ICD-10 implementation] is the biggest change in healthcare since the implementation of DRGs back in the early ’80s,” said Shannon E. McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I, CEMC, CCDS, director of HIM and coding at HCPro, Inc., in Danvers, MA. McCall and Lolita M. Jones, RHIA, CCS, independent consultant in Fort Washington, MD, spoke during HCPro’s November 18 audio conference, “ICD-10-PCS Surgery Coding: Understand and Apply Five Medical Surgical Root Operations.”
The last thing you need is more to do, but when it comes to preparing your HIM department for EHR go-live, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
