In times of increased auditor scrutiny, it's important for coders to remind themselves of their strengths. Assigning the POA indicator is one of them, according to an OIG report released in November 2012.
Upon quick glance, the FY 2013 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting probably look very familiar to coders. They're comparable in length to the ICD-9-CM guidelines. They also follow the same format.
The manager of clinical documentation integrity program/HIMS at a 300-bed academic medical center and pediatric specialty hospital has high hopes for computer-assisted coding (CAC). In particular, she anticipates that it will increase productivity and ease the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS.
Physicians often use the acronyms IBS (which should indicate irritable bowel syndrome) and IBD (which should indicate inflammatory bowel disease) interchangeably even though they represent completely different conditions with different treatment and prognoses.
New clinical guidelines for malnutrition could help alleviate compliance challenges associated with coding the condition, which has never had universally accepted clinical criteria.
