ICD-10 Anxiety
I try to attend coding updates annually, and I always learn something new. I attended a workshop this week on the 2010 ICD-9 changes. The amount of information is just mind-boggling. It is a good thing I don't have to perform coding for a living. The rationale behind using the new codes can be more confusing than the codes themselves.
There was also information on what we should be doing as coders, directors, documentation specialists, etc. to prepare for the implementation of ICD-10. An unofficial poll was taken and the majority of audience was not convinced ICD-10 would be implemented in October 2013. Most of the group felt that CMS had delayed the implementation so many times that chances are they will not be ready in 2013.
The speaker recommended that we put a team together to prepare for ICD 10 implementation. The amount of work that needs to be done to prepare for this is overwhelming. Of course the coders need to be trained on this new system and I am sure that they will be ready to go. The software vendors, IT department, billing, insurance companies and other parties all must get on the bandwagon. As an educator, I need to be prepared to teach this new system to students. Both the American Health Information Management Association and American Academy of Professional Coders provide information on how to prepare for this change. There are Webinars and other training materials available through both associations.
I recall being a student and learning how to code with ICD-9-CM. I thought it was the most confusing area of the HIM curriculum, and I knew it was one task I would not want to perform on a regular basis. I feel like a student again, and I'm sure I will have the same anxiety learning ICD-10.