As healthcare organizations around the country struggle with the impacts of the latest ICD-10 delay, many are looking for ways to mitigate the financial and productivity impacts. Healthcare organizations can now take advantage of the additional time and refine their ICD-10 plans in such a way that minimizes impacts on productivity and reimbursements to more fully realize cost and quality improvements. Here are five ICD-10 areas that should not be delayed according to Wolters Kluwer Health:
1. Protect the Revenue Cycle
Analyze DRG shifts and use that information to drive your Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) and contract negotitation initiatives.
2. Ensure a Clinically Complete Translation
When working on your remediation plans, make sure you have the full picture. Take into account factors including pick lists, quality measures, benefit policies, managed care contracts, cohort identification policies and reports.
3. Prepare for Post ICD-10 Updates
Put in place an enterprise terminology management solution to address future updates to code sets and/or business rules, as well as manage maps, value sets, code groups and payment models shifts across service lines.
4. Optimize Clinical Workflow
Seek solutions that can make it easier for clinicians to record problems and diagnoses using provider-friendly terms with mappings to SNOMED CT and ICD-10
5. Structured Documentation and Automated Coding
Implement a structured reporting solution that captures the granularity required for ICD-10. The solution should include automatic application of the proper CPT and ICD-10 diagnosis codes to produce clinically complete, coder ready documentation at the point of care.
Related: The 5 Biggest Lessons in ICD-10 Clinical Documentation Success
