Tip: Ask these questions to kickstart your ICD-10 prep, planning

How much do coders and CDI staff currently know? The answer requires performing a baseline assessment of each staff member to determine the areas for additional education, says Melanie Endicott, MBA/HCM, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, director of HIM solutions at AHIMA in Chicago.

 

What will ICD-10 training entail? Training should be consultative and collaborative, says Dianne L. Haas, PhD, RN, executive director of consulting at TrustHCS in Springfield, Mo. It should be comprehensive and incorporate an analysis of each Major Diagnostic Category, ICD-10 coding guidelines, and query opportunities. Coders should participate in hands-on training and workshops to practice coding with ICD-10, she says, and CDI specialist should understand the areas where increased specificity will be required.

 

In what format will training occur? Online training may work for some, but it may be more difficult for others, and hospitals must consider this, says Haas. Many coders, and to some extent CDI specialists, are comfortable reviewing electronic records and dealing with an encoder, but are anxious about online education, she says. Audio seminars, in-person training, books, and conferences are alternatives that hospitals can consider.

 

Editor’s Note: This tip was adapted from an article in the November edition of the HCPro, Inc. newsletter Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies.