Implementation, Essay Example

Introduction

The introduction of the ICD-10 mandate by the United States federal government posed a challenge to many healthcare communities who require significant upgrades in their current information systems in order to accommodate this system. This new coding system requires a significant level of focus and attention in order to accomplish the desired objectives set forth by the government. This process is very difficult because the mandate represents a significant change for healthcare organizations to utilize their resources in order to achieve the expected results. Therefore, it is important to identify the concerns that are associated with this mandate and the requirements that are necessary to address the change in a positive manner. ICD-10 implementation requires a significant upgrade for many organizations; therefore, the costs associated with this process are too great to ignore. In addition, they represent a challenge to organizations with a different method currently in place. Through this mandate, it is necessary to explore the different requirements and the concerns that organizations must consider in developing a new strategy to improve the financial stability of the organization on many different levels. The following discussion will address ICD-10 implementation in greater detail and will explore this change as it impacts operations and patient care.

Analysis

ICD-10 implementation was originally slated for October 1, 2014, whereby there is a significant change in coding used by coders and medical billers in reporting procedures and diagnostics (AAPC, 2014). With this mandate, organizations are required to increase their level of complexity and to comprehend an entirely new set of codes that govern these procedures and their influence on healthcare practice (AAPC, 2014). Through the Department of Health and Human Services, ICD-10 was established as a means of upgrading ICD-9 coding practices for hospitals and other healthcare organizations in order to achieve proper diagnoses and billing procedures (AAPC, 2014). This process has been deemed essential by the DHHS, but not without significant expense and focus, as well as a reallocation of existing resources to achieve this mandate in a timely manner (AAPC, 2014). At the same time, there are significant challenges associated with the development of this implementation because it requires numerous resources and other additions that must be addressed by the required deadline (AAPC, 2014).

The current system, ICD-9, is comprised of approximately 14,000 codes, while ICD-10 increases the number of codes by almost five times, with 68,000 codes to label many different activities in healthcare practice, as well as numerous diagnoses, even those that are rare or unusual (Millman, 2014). With this framework, a vast amount of knowledge must be acquired by medical billers and coders so that they are able to properly label all situations or circumstances accordingly (Millman, 2014). It is known that “ICD-10 accounts for new diagnoses and treatment not covered by the current coding system, and it more specifically describes treatment and diagnosis” (Millman, 2014). As a result, it is evident that there are significant factors associated with these codes and their specific meanings; therefore, they must be well understood and appropriately applied to specific situations in order to achieve the desired results in coding and subsequent billing procedures that will impact practice settings in different ways (Millman, 2014).

Although ICD-10 aims to improve efficiency, it is difficult to achieve this process because of the substantial technical nature of the system and its overall impact on patient care outcomes and billing methods (Millman, 2014). It is necessary to evaluate the different methods that are available to support the demands of ICD-10 and its overall impact on patient care and related outcomes. The use of this new system requires significant attention, focus, and commitment; therefore, it must be addressed in a timely manner and with many knowledgeable resources in place. This will ensure that hospitals and other healthcare organizations are available and fully prepared to manage the demands associated with ICD-10 once it is rolled out by October 2015 (Millman, 2014). This process requires an effective understanding of the demands associated with proper diagnostic procedures and methods that support the growth of practice settings on many levels (Millman, 2014).

Conclusion

ICD-10 implementation is a difficult situation for healthcare organizations throughout the United States, as it poses a significant burden on existing frameworks by requiring new upgrades of existing systems in order to meet this mandate. This process is difficult and requires many resources in order to meet the required objectives. Therefore, organizations face critical concerns with the pending rollout of ICD-10 implementation across healthcare organizations. These factors demonstrate the importance of developing new approaches to manage outcomes and to reflect upon the issues that are most critical to an organization during this type of vast implementation effort. This process requires healthcare organizations to evaluate their existing resources, to perform upgrades as necessary, and to consider other challenges that support their ability to meet the required standards. This is an ongoing process and requires new perspectives in order to meet the demands and knowledge required to use IDC-10 coding in a variety of future practice settings, including expert knowledge as provided by medical billers and coders working within the industry. These positions will demonstrate the importance of new approaches to adjust resource allocation efforts in order to achieve the desired results throughout billing practice and other approaches.

References

AAPC (2014). ICD-10 implementation. Retrieved from http://www.aapc.com/ICD-10/

Millman, J. (2014). ICD-10 might be delayed again. How will we know when squirrels attack? The Washington Post, retrieved from

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/27/icd-10-might-be-delayed-again-how-will-we-know-when-squirrels-attack/