In the midst of the delay – no delay debacle, it seems like WHEN is the burning question. Some ponder that the question should have been WHY? Why transition to ICD-10 at all? The reasons often given for a new coding classification often involve the need to update the data structure or to provide for more codes. Considering the new ICD-10 has five times more codes than its predecessor, it may have been part of the goal regardless of being part of the reason.
Other chronic diseases could benefit from the same intervention if it were easier to identify the severity of the at-risk patients in the organization, practice, or hospital population. ICD-10 Monitor raised this topic in their article, “Tell me again: Why do we need ICD-10?”
Regardless of the reasons, many are not waiting on the deadline, but trudging forward with the necessary preparations. Access Innovations offers help for those who aren’t waiting on a date. Developer of the M.A.I. machine-assisted indexing system and specialists in complex coding, tagging, and indexing, they provide a range of services that deliver tag integrity.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.
