I can NOT wait to explore ICD - 10. Someone who's been coding for the last 20 years told me that they may retire BEFORE ICD -10 is implemented. While some coders are dreading the change, others are embracing the challenge of preparing for ICD - 10.
Currently, there are some new graduates who want to code and are having difficulty finding jobs without coding experience. I believe students and new graduates should work towards mastering ICD -10 coding concepts now as many doors of opportunity will open for new coders who are trained in this specialized area. Right now the focus needs to be on anatomy and physiology; pathophysiology; and pharmacology. My advice would be to focus on these key areas while also learning ICD - 10.
According to the American Medical Association, “ICD-10-CM codes are the ones designated for use in documenting diagnoses. They are 3-7 characters in length and total 68,000, while ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are 3-5 digits in length and number over 14,000. The ICD-10-PCS are the procedure codes and they are alphanumeric, 7 characters in length, and total approximately 87,000, while ICD-9-CM procedure codes are only 3-4 numbers in length and total approximately 4,000 codes.” Wow, that is a huge increase in codes.
Physician education related to quality documentation is crucial as we prepare for ICD - 10. There is a lot to be said about physician education on documentation and I will definitely blog about that in the near future.
In the meantime, it is all about ICD -10 Preparedness.
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