Drug abuse is a serious public health issue that affects millions of Americans. Familiarize yourself with diagnosis reporting for substance use disorders to ensure that ICD-10-CM-dependent administrative data accurately captures the social consequences of substance abuse. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
In November 2017, HCPro asked healthcare professionals about ICD-10 coding productivity. Based on respondent feedback, respondents were asked to report productivity based on records per hour or records per day. In previous years, respondents were asked to report productivity based only on records per hour.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP, writes that since there is such a prevalence for obesity in our nation, it’s a no brainer that correctly assigning and fully understanding the ICD-10-CM/PCS codes for obesity-related conditions is imperative for coders in any facility.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, CCDS, reviews some ICD fundamentals and to help facilities develop a strategy that will ease the transition to the new administrative language as the federal government moves toward deployment of the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD-11-MMS).
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a commonly diagnosed condition where the ventricles or the lower chambers of the heart do not work effectively. The heart serves as a pump to get blood in and then out of the heart to circulate to the rest of the body. When any type of pump doesn’t work efficiently, backups can occur.
The advancement of accurate and compliant coding efforts brings unique challenges. As benevolent as a health information management (HIM) department’s mission may seem to be, for many facilities, the focus of physician queries continues to be “optimizing” information in the medical record to increase reimbursement.
A recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that almost 70% of Americans are considered overweight or obese. This epidemic costs American healthcare systems approximately $190 billion per year in treatment of weight-related conditions.
New ICD-10-CM/PCS codes provide additional specificity to describe the condition of and care afforded to a given patient. This article takes a closer look at these code updates as well as guidelines for reporting codes under new payment models.
Approximately 2%-3% of children between the ages of 6 and 12, and 6%-8% of adolescents in the U.S. may have serious depression. Debbie Jones, CPC, CCA details common symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescence and provides advice for diagnostic coding of these conditions.
Surprisingly, thyroid disease is more common than diabetes or heart disease, with an estimated 20 million Americans having some form of the disease. In this article, Yvette M. DeVay, MHA, CPC, CPMA, CIC, CPC-I gives readers a background on thyroid cancer and reviews ICD-10-CM/PCS coding for the disease.
With yearly ICD-10 code and guideline updates to the respiratory system, it’s important for coders to stay abreast of changes to ensure documentation and coding integrity. This article takes a closer look at the ICD-10-CM code updates as well as recent Coding Clinic guidance on the respiratory system. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Coding for damage control surgery and acute blood loss anemia can be difficult when clear provider documentation is not found within the medical record. Lori-Lynne A. Webb, CPC, CCS-P, CCP, CHDA, COBGC, outlines best practices for identifying anemia and ensuring more accurate documentation.
If ICD-10-CM/PCS is used to its full potential, it will provide greater detail and a more accurate depiction of patient severity. This level of detail is expected to provide more information about the relationship between a provider’s performance and the patient’s condition.
More than 13 million Americans have bladder incontinence, and women are twice more likely than men to have it, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Peggy Blue, MPH, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, reviews ICD-10-CM/PCS coding for the bladder and writes that with so many Americans affected, knowledge of proper coding of bladder diagnoses and procedures is important.
Coding for respiratory conditions can be challenging, given the structural complexity of the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Refresh your knowledge of respiratory anatomy to aid in the accurate reporting of common respiratory diagnoses such as emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Each year, more than 2,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma— an aggressive and deadly type of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. Debbie Jones CPC, CCA , writes about different types of mesothelioma and how they should be reported in ICD-10-CM.
In advance of ICD-10-CM/PCS, many institutions implemented computer-assisted coding (CAC) hoping to mitigate anticipated productivity losses. Erica E. Remer, MD, FACEP, CCDS, highlights some of the pitfalls of CAC and provides techniques to improve accuracy. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
In order to accurately code for complex diseases and procedures of the brain, spinal cord, and sense organs, coders need a basic understanding of nervous system functionality. This article provides detailed information on nervous system anatomy and terminology, common brain and nervous system disorders, and recently introduced 2018 ICD-10-CM codes related to nervous system conditions.
