For most of us, March 2021 marked one year since daily life was uprooted by COVID-19’s arrival in the United States. However, here at IMO our work to help manage the pandemic started back when the virus was first identified in late 2019 – before the impacts of the new coronavirus were felt nationwide.
As we monitored the global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, our teams kicked into high gear. Of chief importance? Ensuring that clinicians had the most accurate clinical terminology – like COVID-19 instead of flu-like symptoms – for use when documenting care.
And time was of the essence. Standardized code systems like ICD-10-CM and SNOMED CT® typically update annually, meaning it would likely take time for their COVID-19 terms to be released and become effective. But because of the nature of the work we do, IMO could respond with heightened speed and specificity. Here’s a look at how IMO’s team of expert clinical terminologists, coding specialists, and medical informaticists have been working vigilantly to support the most accurate clinical documentation for the COVID-19 pandemic.
