By: Lisa Asbell, RN

I continue to press on with my education of what ICD-10 is really all about and how important it is to get started with the transition process.

Much confusion abounds because of bad press about ICD-10.  As I travel the country I am finding that many practice managers simply don't know what they don't know. Providers are really in the dark about how to get started with their ICD-10 transitions. We have to change that immediately.

I get asked at least once a day if ICD-10 is related to Obama Care. The answer is no. The ground work for ICD-10 started with HIPAA back in the 90's.  Millions of dollars have been spent on preparing for ICD-10. ICD-10 is going forward and for now you don't need to stress over the coding elements or the 69,000 new codes. There are dozens of other simple steps to getting ready for ICD-10 that you need to be concerned about today. I often get asked, "Where do we start with our ICD-10 transition?" 

Here are some examples of things to consider. Since the cornerstone of ICD-10 is better specificity, that means better documentation. It would be a great idea to focus on looking at how your providers are currently documenting.  I always suggest that you convert your most frequently used ICD-9 codes to ICD-10 using a GEMS tool (free download that will help you convert the codes). GEMS is not a crosswalk; it is to be used for education purposes only.  Once you have converted your top diagnosis codes, conduct internal chart audits for every provider, paying special attention to the new "specificity" in the codes. Does the current documentation have all of the elements that you need to pick the most specific ICD-10 code? If some of the elements are lacking, make flash cards for your providers and give them a comparison from ICD-9 to ICD-10 and tell them what is missing; if you are not sure what's missing, ask them. If you take a new code each week for the next few months and continue to conduct chart reviews, your providers will be ready for the October 1, 2014 deadline.

Providers don't know what they don't know! Help them get ready now for ICD-10. Don't overwhelm them with 69,000 new codes.  Conducting these simple internal chart audits is the best place to start engaging your providers. Dont put it off. The goal is not to survive after October 1, 2014 but to thrive.

Lisa Asbell is a Registered Nurse and an ICD-10 Transition specialist. She is the President of TrainRx. She teaches practices how to transition to ICD-10 and saves them thousands of dollars. She is a National speaker and consultant with clients in all 50 states. She can be reached at lisa@lisaasbell.com or visit her website for more information at www.trainrx.net