It’s been quite a year for clinical terminology, with the need for new medical coding terms never seeming to stop. Whether clinicians are documenting complexities related to COVID-19 or describing electric scooter mishaps, the latest updates to ICD-10-CM are here to help. Below, we take a look at five interesting changes to the standardized coding system that went into effect on the first of October.
In the US, structured clinical terminology is integrated into most electronic health records. However, across the pond there is no standard clinical terminology that is widely being used for documentation. This means clinicians must often go directly to code sets such as ICD-10 or SNOMED®* to document clinical encounters. IMO’s Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Services, Steven Rube, MD, takes a look at the reasons for this difference in the capture of patient data from a clinical informatics perspective.
Since medical records are electronic, it’s easy to think that patient data is naturally compatible and easy to aggregate for analytic purposes. But, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, many health information exchanges that collect this information struggle to maximize the insights they get from the records. That’s where normalization services can help.
Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) aren’t a new concept, but as more and more organizations shift to value-based care, there has been renewed issue in the subject. And it makes sense – without solid foundational knowledge of HCCs, health systems risk lower rates of reimbursement, or sometimes not getting paid at all.
A comprehensive webinar on the ICD-10-CM 2021 code updates.
The ability to help or learn from specific patient cohorts is contingent upon being able to accurately identify them. Value sets are the tool of choice for this task, but as a recent HIMSS-IMO survey has revealed, the vast majority of respondents find them challenging to define and maintain.
As the threat of COVID-19 continues to grow, so too does the urgent need for health IT solutions, like updated coding and terminology and telehealth services. To learn more about how the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the health IT space, IMO asked experts throughout the field to share their thoughts in our latest insight brief.
The pandemic has put a pause on some of summertime’s most beloved activities, but when it comes to health and safety, the season still has its hazards. As you head out to enjoy the warm weather, have fun, be careful, and keep the following ICD-10-CM codes in mind. You know what they say about an ounce of prevention…
Every set of standardized clinical terminology has routine adjustments and updates. For some, there are annual revisions and for others, changes happen multiple times a year. Then, there are the medical coding terms that need to be added off-cycle. Having trouble keeping up? We’re here to help.
When it comes to medical coding terms, there’s a lot to keep track of and a lot to keep straight. From CPT terms, to LOINC to ICD-10-CM codes, it’s hard to overstate the importance of normalization solutions that can unify, clean, and organize clinical terminology.
The transition from paper charts to electronic health records hasn’t been easy, but there’s no denying the power and potential of the EHR. Andrew S. Kanter, MD, and Steven Rube, MD, reflect on the early days of the technology and what the future holds for patients and providers.
Working from home has its advantages, but months into the pandemic, the novelty of sleep-ins and sweatpants is waning for many. We explore some of the perils of working from home and the ICD-10-CM codes that are cropping up in EHRs nationwide.
