ICD-10 Leader Offers Insights on Preparing for Impending Deadline

Everyone in my organization will get some type of ICD-10 training. Now, some areas might not get as granular as my billing and transcription people, but they'll at least know what an ICD-10 code is, why it's being used, and how that works into the whole process of what we do here in our lab. Everyone will have to have some type of training on it. Someone is usually designated for that in a large organization, but in a small organization, companies on the web, or your community college could be useful resources. AHIMA has a wonderful education opportunity too. You just have to be careful that whoever is training you knows what they're talking about.

How do clinicians feel about the transition?

They aren't happy because they are going to have to be clearer in their documentation. As a coder, I have always felt that documentation is the number one priority for a clinician, because if the service is not documented, it can't be billed. When ICD-10 comes along, it will take time for everyone—probably a good month or more before you're really comfortable with the whole process. I've experienced downtime with an Epic's interface, and you just have to work through it. The biggest thing is, if you're prepared, it will be so much easier in the end.