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With the ICD-10 coding classification transition countdown seemingly going faster, how ready are providers for the implementation? A survey by Aloft Group, a Newburyport, Massachusetts healthcare branding and marketing firm, sheds some light on just that.

The impending ICD-10 coding classification transition is a challenge for not just hospitals and physicians, but other healthcare providers are preparing for this “new world” with training.

Neil Stanley, regional president of corporate partnerships at Harrison College in Indiana, recently discussed in a podcast their comprehensive International Classification of Disease Tenth Revision (ICD-10) training curriculum. It is designed to equip physicians, coders and other medical staff with the tools necessary to make the transition to ICD-1o as smooth and successful as possible. The deadline for the transition is October 1, 2014 and there is much work left to do to be prepared.

With all that is going on in the world of healthcare, i.e. ICD-10 conversion, electronic medical records, and the new government healthcare program, it is hard to imagine adding to that load. However, sometimes what is an add-on can be a load reliever.

Many believe that one of the biggest challenges currently facing the health IT industry is the coding classification transition to ICD-10. Training staff, integrating data, and preparing for financial impact has consumed the healthcare professionals and will continue to do so until implementation in October 2014.

With the preparation for the transition to ICD-10, there is a new interest in population management. This most likely comes from the concerns around financial reimbursement after the implementation in October 2014. There will be five times the number of codes after the implementation of the ICD-10 coding classification. This will allow for greater specificity, but there will be a huge learning curve.

Organizations that help manage and analyze medical content have a unique opportunity during this time of ICD-10 transition. Healthcare entities are recognizing the need for sharing clinical data. This trend has been accelerated by the transition. This interesting information was found on Reuters in their article, “Wolters Kluwer Health to Acquire Health Language, Inc., a Leader in the Medical Terminology Management Market.”

For providers who are seeking some feedback and support about their ICD-10 transition plan, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a series of listening sessions.