Will ICD10s be an EHR Challenge?



Transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 is a challenge, undoubtedly. The codes are way more in number—68,000 to be exact. First and foremost, to overcome this challenge, EHR vendors will need to train physicians and their staff on how to transition from their old coding system to ICD-10. The users of EHR must be proficient in understanding the codes efficiently or else the whole process will suffer. 

Physicians are still not ready for the transition, because the opportunity cost of transferring in terms of clinical support can be high, while on the other hand EHR covers the financial sector quite well. The coding in ICD-9 is improved beyond bounds from ICD-10, but still, factors such as the ability to write something that cannot or may not be written in shape of codes is missing. This is a major factor why providers find it difficult to shift to EHR technology. 

The training on EHR allows the implementation process may slow down the process of shifting, but all of the ICD-10 codes will be stored in the system; and this will allow the transition to be positively easier. The understanding of the code will be a challenge but the automatic codes fed in the data will be helpful for the providers to use repeatedly. EHR software will be generally much more efficient.

Making sure that you communicate with the EHR vendor and establish a deadline for your ICD-10 compliance by the end of 2013, will help you comply not only with the government rules but provide you satisfaction as well. It is true that the challenge is big, but the ICD-10 codes deal with the advances made in medicine and medical terminology. It allows for specific information for diagnosis purposes. 

Testing is an important phase of ICD-10 being a challenge for the EHR. For that you need to be in constant contact with your billing service and payers. At each and every step of the shift, you should be there with the vendor. ICD-10 upgrades in your EHR may take a significant amount of time; therefore testing the system should be a continuous process.

Yes, ICD-10s are an EHR challenge but in no way they should halt the process of change provided through the positive transition to electronic management of patient health records which comes with a lot of benefits, in the present and for the future.

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