Don't Let ICD-10's Preparation Work Be for Naught  

Category: Practice Management

Many providers did a great deal of work to prepare for ICD-10, only to be frustrated by its delay...again.  However, that work should not be for naught.  The goal for a new classification system was for greater specificity in the data captured through the coding and billing process.  That specificity can be as important for current external auditor investigations as it will be for future uses of the data for outcomes measures and meaningful use.

Gather baseline documentation on each provider in your group.  Look at a sample of each provider's records to determine if their current records have the details necessary to assign a diagnosis code without using an "unspecified" code.  If you find a few providers whose documentation lacks the specificity needed, focus your remediation efforts in their direction.

• Map their common ICD-9 diagnoses to I...
  
  

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