ICDAM has been fully implemented in Australia since approximately , and most of Canada has completed the conversion. Australia conducted two-day training workshops for experienced coding professionals, while Canada provided coding education in a three-phase plan. The first phase consisted of a self-learning package that required about 21 hours to complete.
The second phase consisted of a two-day workshop, with a hands-on program. In the third phase, a self-learning package of 10 case studies was provided to the coders. All of the education in Canada involved the use of coding software and not codebooks. Both countries offer periodic refresher courses.
The average learning curve was four to six months and coding professionals reported that they did not find ICD any more or less difficult to learn than ICD The information obtained through this study will be used, as appropriate, to move the regulatory process forward. Certainly, upper management should be represented as well as all departments affected in any way by the change. The frequency of meetings will depend on the individual facility, as will the responsibilities of this task force.
Obviously, coders and physicians will require training, but there are other individuals who will be affected and thus, will need some training depending on their involvement. Training on the new coding system may take many forms including face-to-face workshops or seminars. Currently, there are a number of excellent coding publications dedicated to coding training, and it is expected that this, too, will be the case for ICDCM. Audioseminars, which deliver the information to a large audience, are very cost effective as no travel is involved.
Certainly, Web-based training will play an important role in the training of all affected individuals. Various methodologies should be employed as different groups of individuals might respond to one type of training more than another. For instance, physicians may prefer face-to-face training to a Web-based training program.
Educators in coding certificate programs, health information technology programs, and health information administration programs will have the task of educating new coders. As mentioned earlier, different populations of individuals will require training. Coding professionals: While ICDCM has many differences from ICDCM, the new classification system does retain the traditional format and many of the same characteristics and conventions and thus, should not be too difficult for experienced coders to achieve coding proficiency.
An additional problem that could be encountered is a shortage of credentialed, professional coders. Currently, there is a shortage of coders skilled in both ICDCM and CPT coding, and some coders may opt to retire before learning an entirely new system thus exacerbating the problem. Labor statistics predict a shortage of trained coders in the next several years.
Physicians: Physician documentation has been an obstacle to complete and accurate coding for quite some time. With the increased specificity in ICDCM, this issue will continue to be an essential element to collection of good statistical data as well as the key to appropriate reimbursement. Other healthcare professionals: Again, because of the many uses of coded data, there are multiple categories of users of coded data.
These users will require varying levels of training depending on their involvement with coded data. Some of these users include:. The increased specificity of the ICDCM codes makes complete and accurate documentation increasingly important with the implementation of the new system.
Health information management supervisors and coders will have to assist the physicians in becoming more aware of what documentation is needed. Likewise, radiologists and pathologists will need to be reminded about the types of information that will need to be available for coders to correctly assign codes.
As evidenced by the experiences in Australia and Canada, successful transition to the ICDCM classification system will require long range planning by healthcare facilities.
It is not simply HIM professionals who are affected, but healthcare professionals across many disciplines. In addition, third-party payers including the federal government will need to be trained in the use of the new classification system. Coding professionals have the training and experience to limit the learning curve involved in transitioning to the new system, and HIM professionals are certainly ready to take the lead in retraining and education for new and experienced users of health data.
Let us begin planning for ICDCM and enjoy the benefits of this greatly improved classification system. Federal Register 63, no. Available at www. Federal Register 65, no. May 29, Testimony by Dr. The current ICDCM diagnosis codes do not provide sufficient clinical specificity to describe the severity or complexity of the various disease conditions. In particular, the codes for healthcare encounters for other than disease V codes do not provide enough specificity.
Consequently, there are increasing requirements for submission of additional documentation in order to support claims. On This Page. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.
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