The New York Times recently covered a story in layman’s terms on the impact of ICD-10 to the medical community, which is slated to commence in October. As you are likely aware, the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 will transform the specificity of diagnosis codes from 14,000 to 68,000, and procedure codes from 3,000 to 87,000. Some unique codes have generated comical reactions, such as a code for injuries that occur within opera houses. The purpose of the specificity is to enhance the accuracy of billing, which we can all agree is a reasonable goal to try to achieve. What ICD-10 will likely mean for hospitalists is months of familiarizing yourself with the branching logic of the relevant billing codes, and plenty of interaction with clinical documentation specialists. Although it will take some getting used to, just like any other change, it will unlikely be as bad as the forecasters predict. (Link to Times story)
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February 10, 2014 |
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About the Author: Danielle Scheurer
Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM is a clinical hospitalist and the Chief Quality Officer at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina, where she also serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, completed her residency at Duke University, and completed her Masters in Clinical Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also the President of SHM's Board of Directors and previously served as Physician Editor of The Hospitalist, SHM's monthly newsmagazine.
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