Time is of the essence. With less than a year until the ICD-10 deadline, there are many items that organizations need to cross off their checklists as we get ready to go live. Unfortunately, organizations aren't all in the same place when it comes to ICD-10 readiness.
Coding for sepsis is often easier said than done. Obstacles range from difficulty distinguishing between documentation for sepsis and related conditions to trouble with physician queries.
Using a credentialed coder with computer-assisted coding (CAC) can increase coder productivity and lead to more accurate inpatient coding than using CAC alone, according to a study conducted by the AHIMA Foundation in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic and 3M Health Information Systems.
CMS released a number of proposed changes to the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) July 8. The 2014 OPPS proposed rule (available at http://tinyurl.com/oyu33jx) is shorter than normal at 718 pages, but the proposed changes are significant and probably the most sweeping since the inception of OPPS, says Jugna Shah, MPH, president and founder of Nimitt Consulting in Washington, D.C.
Medical Records Briefing catches up on computer-assisted coding (CAC) with Deloris Farthing, RHIA, CHDA, director of HIM for Hays (Kan.) Medical Center.
Everyone knows that CCs and MCCs are under scrutiny these days. However, that doesn't mean hospitals should err on the side of caution when reporting these conditions. William E. Haik, MD, FCCP, CDIP, director of DRG Review, Inc., in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., provides several tips that coders can employ to look for clinical evidence in the record before querying for these targeted conditions.
If the October 1, 2014, implementation date for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS is not altered by the time this is published, there will be 18 months left until the transition.
