indexing

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.

It should be no surprise that time is the biggest obstacle for healthcare professionals as they prepare for the ICD-10 conversion. With just over a year and a half left until the October 1, 2014 deadline, a recent survey showed that 74.6% of the respondents are only 25% or less completed in their ICD-10 implementations.