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.
Lynelle A. Clausen, RN, BSN, writes about the struggles she faces as a CDI specialist when dealing with vague documentation, lack of criteria, and the reporting of malnutrition.
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.
In perusing the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Work Plan , there are many clinical issues that we in ICD-10-CM/PCS coding compliance must address.
Victoria M. Hernandez, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P , AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, and Debi Primeau, RHIA, FAHIMA , highlight several areas that illustrate the increasing importance of code specificity to ensure accurate reporting and appropriate reimbursement.
While a facility’s case–mix index is an important metric to measure, program managers and directors warn that metrics mean different things to different stakeholders and that CDI programs need to work diligently to present their data within the context of a host of other important measures.
Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CRC, CCDS, writes about the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) recent audit findings regarding the ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for kwashiorkor, and discusses what coders can do to stay compliant when coding guidance is lacking. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Hospitals are seeing a growing number of staff move off-site. Remote inpatient coders are common and might work from home several days a week. The shift is fueled in part by EHRs: As paper records disappear, it’s less necessary to have staff in nonclinical positions on-site. And, for many hospitals, space is at a premium.
With yearly code and guideline updates to the respiratory system, it’s important for coders to stay abreast of changes to ensure documentation and coding integrity.
James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CCDS, CDIP, interprets the various guidance given in Coding Clinic , Fourth Quarter 2017, including pre-bill audits and denials based on clinical criteria, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with exacerbated asthma.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP , writes that understanding the epidemiology of HIV, its manifestations, and its stages are important when reviewing the medical record for ICD-10-CM coding, and interpreting provider documentation and understanding the coding guidelines are of the upmost importance for proper sequencing.
Jocelyn E. Murray, RN, CCDS, reviews the similarities and differences between CDI audits and coding compliance audits and says it’s our collective responsibility to provide the insight that defines the two specialties and the critical efforts both bring to the table.
Creating a query can be complicated, and there are a number of continued training tactics that prove successful for the coder when trying to improve upon physician query practices. This article takes a look at how improving a coder’s knowledge of principal and secondary diagnosis selection can produce a more effective physician query. Note: To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS, reviews the most recent Coding Clinic guidance, which touches on common coding conundrums from subjects such as clostridium difficile, diabetes with ketoacidosis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary hypertension, and more.
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.
In advance of ICD-10-CM/PCS, many institutions implemented computer-assisted coding (CAC) hoping to mitigate the anticipated productivity losses, but some research has confirmed my suspicions that there is an inverse relationship between coding productivity and accuracy.
Hiring top-notch inpatient coders: Is it good luck, great karma, or the power of prayer? Many coding managers say it takes all three to recruit high-quality, experienced medical record coders post-ICD-10.
