Health Information Management

Tip: Raise awareness of ICD-10 implications

CDI Strategies, August 19, 2010

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It may be too early to start intensive ICD-10-CM training for your coding and CDI team, but now is a good time to at least become familiar with features of the new system. 

During CMS’ Basic Introduction to ICD-10-CM National Provider Call held earlier this year, Sue Bowman, RHIA, CCS, director of coding policy and compliance at AHIMA, explained many of the new features of ICD-10 codes. She also provided examples to illustrate the significant detail this new system will provide.
By now you’ve probably heard coding experts touting ICD-10-CM’s increased specificity, but have you actually looked at some of the code descriptions? With just a brief glance, you can see that the code descriptions contain a significant degree of detail.
 
For example, code S72.044G is the ICD-10-CM code for a nondisplaced fracture at the base of the neck of the right femur, subsequent encounter for closed fracture with delayed healing.
 
“You can see how much more information is in that code that you know about the patient that you don’t get from many of the current ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes,” Bowman said.
 
Likewise, consider the following codes that also illustrate the greater specificity ICD-10-CM provides:
  • I69.351 (sequelae of cerebral infarction, hemiplegia and hemiparesis following cerebral infarction affecting right dominant side) 
  • Z47.81 (encounter for orthopedic aftercare following surgical amputation) 
  • Z48.21 (encounter for aftercare following heart transplant) 
Editor’s note: Take our survey to help us gather data about how CDI specialists plan to prepare for ICD-10 implementation. We will share this information on the ACDIS website.



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