We\u2019re a little over 9 months away from the October 2014 ICD-10 deadline. So if your practice isn\u2019t crafting a transition strategy, it’s probably time to crack open a blank notebook and roll up those sleeves.<\/p>\n
But if you remember your college term papers, getting started is among the largest challenges involved with any long-term project. In this case, colleagues can provide guidance, so ask around and see if anyone has a heads up on the deadline. Those early birds may hold the keys to a painless transition.<\/p>\n
You may even find you\u2019re being left behind. A recent HRAA survey of more than 120 hospitals found that only 31% of providers aren\u2019t planning to dual code prior to October 1. These gals and guys know the dilemmas that dual coding can bring, so if ICD-10 is an early New Year\u2019s resolution at your practice, read ahead to why they\u2019re doing it and the kinds of roadblocks they\u2019re currently or will soon be encountering.<\/p>\n
Work out issues<\/em> \u2013 Claims coded using ICD-10 won\u2019t be accepted until much later, but early implementation allows your staff to learn from their mistakes.<\/p>\n Identify workflow changes<\/em> \u2013 Early implementation helps you spot the kinds of workflow alternations you\u2019ll need to make come October. For example, you could decide to assign staff members towards coding-related tasks before the transition, in areas that may require more care.<\/p>\n Data mining<\/em> \u2013 Dual coding means double the data, which could be compared to forecast future issues and assess coder productivity.<\/p>\n Future efficiency<\/em> \u2013 If you can pull off double coding now, ICD-10 will be a breeze come late 2014 and beyond. Your staff could be a little frustrated in the interim, but they\u2019ll thank you once the holidays hit.<\/p>\n Helpful health IT<\/em> \u2013 Some health IT billing solutions map ICD-10 codes back to ICD-19 for you, which helps ease your practice\u2019s transition.<\/p>\n Double the work<\/em> \u2013 This is the most obvious of early-switch hardships. This may hinder your coders\u2019 ability to remain efficient until October.<\/p>\n Staff resistance<\/em> \u2013 Although an early transition sounds beautiful if you focus on life after October 1, your staff may not like the possibility of increased workloads. Consider offering additional incentives and make the benefits of an early transition crystal clear.<\/p>\n Other constraints<\/em> \u2013 Dual coding places additional demands on your budget, staff, and workflow. Strike a balance between both systems to remain productive and profitable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We\u2019re a little over 9 months away from the October 2014 ICD-10 deadline. So if your practice isn\u2019t crafting a transition strategy, it’s probably time to crack open a blank notebook and roll up those sleeves. But if you remember your college term papers, getting started is among the largest challenges involved with any long-term […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[38,39],"class_list":["post-12492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-revenue","tag-icd-10","tag-revenue"],"yoast_head":"\nEarly-Switch ICD-10 Challenges<\/h2>\n