CMS posts ICD-10 Fact Sheet

During a recent planning call for the ACDIS 2010 conference in Chicago, the group discussed  creating a session specifically targeting ICD-10 challenges in the clinical documentation improvement world. Opinions on the matter were mixed. (I’ll post later this week with a list of potential topics the committee hopes to cover.)

While most people are aware that CMS plans to implement the new data set for ICD-10 come 2013, they’re unsure about how to proceed with transition planning and whether or not CDI specialists need to get involved in that planning process. General consensus seems to be that HIM leaders need to work closely with other department leaders to communicate the impact of ICD-10 and plan implementation strategies. CDI managers and department leaders should reach out to HIM counterparts and try to stay as informed as possible about ongoing changes.

CMS recently posted a fact sheet regarding ICD-10 that summarizes structural differences between the new system and its predecessor, ICD-9. It also explains how organizations and facilities should plan for the change and provides a list of helpful Web sites.

We also recently received a press release from 3M regarding its new 3M™ ICD-10 Code Translation Tool, a new software application that helps convert ICD-9 based applications to ICD-10. The release says the new program uses menu-driven features to convert existing systems and software applications to ICD-10. It also says the tool can be customized to create mappings for specific facility needs. Aside from its nifty new program, 3M does offer a free .pdf of frequently asked questions regarding ICD-10 that you may find useful for additional background reading.

You can also read more at ACDIS sister Blog ICD-10 Watch.

If all this seems to fall into the category of “too much information,” fear not. We’ll continue to keep you informed of what’s happening in the ICD-10 realm periodically.