When coders are looking at scenarios in ICD-10-CM/PCS, where the X is located within the code matters. When X is in the fifth and/or sixth character, X is a placeholder. ICD-10-CM codes can be up to...
Gregory House, MD, is hanging up his stethoscope before the transition to ICD-10-CM. I loved House MD when Fox first starting airing it in 2005, but the last few seasons, not so much. Let’s ask Dr...
Jeff comes in to the Fix ‘Em Up Clinic complaining of shortness of breath, a persistent cough, tightness in his chest, and frequent respiratory infections. He tells Nurse Nosey that he smokes a pack...
Late effects are considered to be the residual effects after the acute phase of an illness, disease, or injury. Typically, late effects are considered chronic conditions and can result from the...
Coder productivity was a hot topic of conversation during the AHIMA pre-conference in Atlanta October 26-27. We all know coders will be less productive initially after the transition to ICD-10. The...
Our friends at the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists hold their annual conference next month in San Antonio , Texas. And like everything in Texas, it’s going to be BIG ...
Super CDI specialist Cheryl loves Mexican food. Really, she loves it a little too much. She decided to celebrate the end of her teaching duties at the Association of Clinical Documentation...
Big news regarding the ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation timeline came out this morning during the American Medical Association (AMA) National Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC. Per CMS acting...
Cold and flu season is in full swing, so I thought it might be a good time to look at coding for influencza in ICD-10-CM. If you look up influenza in the ICD-9-CM index, you might think we currently...
Bacteria are everywhere. Literally. And you can’t see them or feel them. In fact, trillions of them are living on your skin right now. So not all bacteria are bad. Some, though, can do nasty things...
