ICD-10 Code Transformation

Following a decade of successful lobbying for ICD-10 implementation, AHIMA has pooled its resources and assembled a complete body of information to assist the healthcare industry with the upcoming mandatory conversion to ICD-10 codes. As the date for the implementation of ICD-10 codes rapidly approaches, take advantage of the resources AHIMA provides to ensure you are compliant by October 2011. For the latest breaking information and industry news regarding the switch to ICD-10 codes, sign up for AHIMA's free newsletter.

All the resources AHIMA has available to HIM professionals are designed to equip healthcare professionals so that they can prepare and smoothly convert to ICD-10 codes in a seamless fashion. Some of our many resources include:

For even more in-depth ICD-10 code implementation information and educational resources become an online AHIMA member and gain access to the FORE Library: HIM Body of Knowledge. Through the FORE Library, AHIMA members have access to an extensive wealth of information containing all things you need to know about ICD-10 medical codes.

Why Switch to ICD-10 Codes?

Becoming ICD-10 compliant is necessary at this point because ICD-9 is limited and running out of codes as technology and patient treatment evolve. Because the rest of the world has switched to medical ICD-10 codes, ICD-9 is obsolete and it is becoming difficult for physicians to assign accurate codes for treatment. As healthcare technology, treatments and conditions develop and evolve, ICD-9 becomes increasingly limited in its capacity to properly document healthcare data for treatment and billing purposes. With the progression of healthcare technology, it also becomes more important to utilize an electronic medical record system. ICD-10 diagnosis codes are better suited for electronic record keeping because they are able to encompass a wider variety of data than ICD-9.

If the United States refrains from adopting ICD-10 diagnosis codes any longer, it will become increasingly difficult to share accurate morbidity data in a healthcare industry that is rapidly globalizing. Switching to ICD-10 codes gives the US healthcare system the opportunity to improve the quality of our healthcare data and become compatible with the rest of the world. This will lead to improved patient safety, quality of care and public health. As this will be an industry-wide switchover, becoming ICD-10 code compliant by the implementation date will ensure you remain competitive and able to offer patients the most up to date care possible.

New ICD Code Implementation

Because the US is the last developed nation in the world to adopt ICD-10 codes, we have the opportunity to draw from the experiences and lessons learned by other nations when they switched.

Key points as you prepare:

Planning and preparation are crucial to smooth implementation.
Utilize the time before the October 2011 implementation deadline and begin preparing now.
An AHIMA Field Testing Project has shown three to six months before implementation, a maximum of 16 hours of training is sufficient for experienced coding professionals.
ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets are different and compatibility issues will occur. Expect the unexpected.

For more information on preparing for ICD-10, or if you have questions regarding our resources, please contact AHIMA.

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