CHI Memorial is now using ICD-10 codes that will help set and measure standards for patient medical care.
All health care providers use codes to identify and document diseases, symptoms, conditions and injuries on patient records and claims. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD), tenth revision, replaces ICD-9, which has been used in the United States for more than 30 years and is outdated. ICD-10 more accurately reflects the medical and technological advances made during the last 30 years. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency, set Oct. 1, as the date for ICD-10 implementation.
There are several benefits of ICD-10. The codes are more specific, providing a truer picture of disease and outcomes, driving research and helping medical professionals understand disease and injury in a way that helps prevent disease and injury. Providers will be better able to set and measure standards for clinical quality, patient safety and efficiency. Public health organizations, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will have more accurate data to work with in handling epidemics such as the swine flu. Medical research will also benefit.
CHI Memorial has been preparing for the transition to ICD-10 codes for the last three years. “Physicians and staff have received multiple days of hands-on training as well as online training in preparation for the transition,” said Lindsey Miller, CHI ICD-10 director, East Southeast Division. Other preparations include:
o Testing IT systems and applications; working with those vendors
o Testing claims processing
o Staffing a team dedicated to monitoring and addressing any issues that might arise with the transition
CHI Memorial does not expect patients to notice the change, other than it could initially take a few minutes longer to schedule a procedure and/or slightly longer to process a bill.
Officials said, "We are monitoring the move to ICD-10 carefully and should we see any issues, we will address them promptly."