By Lee Ann Bryant, associate product manager, HealthStreamAlthough nearly all healthcare providers are aware of the Oct. 1, 2014, deadline, studies show that most are unprepared for this transition. Recognizing that these changes require widespread education and planning initiatives beyond just the coding population, Centers for Medicare and ...

In anticipation of the HIMSS 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held March 3 to 7 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, ADVANCE interviewed Bonnie Cassidy, MPA, RHIA, FAHIMA, FHIMSS, senior director of HIM Innovation at Nuance and AHIMA approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer. Cassidy spent the majority of her career on the ...

HIM's longstanding struggle with physician documentation is well understood and globally recognized. The challenges associated with securing complete, timely, and accurate documentation from physicians is fodder for HIM jokes nationwide. Yes, nine out of  10 coders around the water cooler agree ... physicians are a tough bunch. So with ICD-10 ...

By Lee Ann Bryant, associate product manager, HealthStream.The decision has been made to move forward with your ICD-10 education and training, but the transition process is just beginning. Some lingering questions might be ... ''Where will we look for our education?''''How will we manage all of these changes while ensuring our employees are ...

By Lee Ann Bryant, associate product manager, HealthStream The impending shift to ICD-10 comes with many challenges as well as opportunities. The old adage ''don't believe everything you hear'' certainly stands true as we rapidly approach what has come to be seen as a healthcare phenomenon. While a successful transition does require a tremendous ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Sandra Kersten, MPH, RHIA, who is AHIMA director of HIM Solutions.) Aneesh Chopra, the former first American federal chief technology officer of the U.S., described President Obama's overall vision for innovation, or ''how will this country get its mojo back?'' within the context of ...

  (Editor's Note: This guest blog was written from AHIMA 2012 by Karen Kostick, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P, who is AHIMA director of HIM solutions.) How do you define coding? How do you define the present and future HIM coding professional? These are a few questions presenter Nancy Hirschl, CCS, of Hirschl and Associates, posed at the Clinical ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog was written by Kathy Rowland CPC, CEMC, CPC-I, CHC, who is a member of the AAPC (http://www.aapc.com/) ICD-10 Curriculum Team.)We have the final rule setting the ICD-10-CM implementation date as Oct. 1, 2014, released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The rule will be published in the Federal ...

(Editor's Note: This guest blog post was written by Shelly Guffey and Dawn Duchek. Shelly Guffey is the manager of premier accounts and vendor partners for Gateway EDI. Dawn Duchek is the industry initiatives coordinator for Gateway EDI.) It's been nearly six months since the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a delay to the ...

  At the recent AHIMA ICD-10 Summit, one message was completely clear: The most important element of ICD-10 preparation process is clinical documentation assessment and improvement. And the best news from the summit? Any efforts you expend now toward better documentation for ICD-10  also will deliver improvements in ICD-9. Here are ...