Inspiration, Insight, Facts, Opinion & Tips from Recent #ClinicalCoding14 Meeting

On June 6th, 2014, AHIMA sponsored a Clinical Coding Meeting. Coding tips, education & training, working with payers, impact of coding on financial performance and clinical documentation improvement programs were shared on Twitter using the #ClinicalCoding14 hashtag. Here are some select tweets from that conference that I think will provide some inspiration, insight, facts, opinion and tips relevant to clinical coding under ICD-10.

"The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare." ‐ Bobby Knight

“Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.”-Henry Ford

Coding Wisdom

1. Coding should always completely & accurately represent the diagnoses & procedures for a patient-Susan Belley

2. Physician documentation is the cornerstone of accurate coding- Jon Elion

3. Data Should be Relevant, Timely, Accurate, Accessible, Comprehensive, Consistent, Current, Defined, Granular & Precise.

4. Essential Components of Coding Compliance Detection, Correction, Prevention, Verification & Comparison

5. Dual coding benefits can be very substantial but it can be expensive & resource-intensive, thus having a plan is key.

6. Root operations division and release may cause the biggest challenges in ICD-10-PCS.

7. ICD-10 PCS will improve accuracy & efficiency of procedure coding & replace ICD-9 CM w/a more logical system- Laura Leg…

8. ICD-10-CM’s use of 6th & 7th characters allows for more granular data capture within the fracture codes-Marty Beckman

9. Home Health coders must know how to code in #icd10 by August 3, 2015 because of HH billing requirements.

10. Analyze your data and GEM MAPS to discover the hidden impact of less specified codes.

Impact to Financial Performance & Working with Payers

1. If you pursue the High Quality Medical Record, the proper reimbursement will follow. -Jon Elion

2. The premise is why would payers pay for procedures when the reason for it can't be specified? Joanne Schade-Boyce.

3. Measures will increase though claims-based data. - Cheryl Bowling

4. Improving the accuracy of clinical documentation is the greatest opportunity for financial improvement

5. 50% of healthcare organizations are experiencing positive ROI results in data analytics & reporting technologies

6. Pay for performance outcome measures will continue to expand. -Cheryl Bowling

7. Important success factor in the move to #ICD10 relates to enabling the exchange of clinical information w/payers

8. Dr. Elion: "If the high quality medical record is pursued, reimbursement will follow."

9. 5-Phases to Engaging Payers Contract Management, Payer Communication, Implementation, Payer Testing, Post-Implementation

Process, Training and Project Management

1. It’s time for physicians to show what they know w/the robust #ICD10 coding system & begin to report 21st Century medicine

2. Coding clinics are the key to success in clinical documentation improvement

3. Work hard to get on your payer's testing schedule and coordinate with clearing houses.

4. MTs are a Key Resource. They already know clinical content & healthcare documentation-Claudia Tessier

5. Five Steps To Pass The CCS Exam Change your perspective, have a plan, prioritize your life, practice, prepare

6. Simplify the educational process with the ICD-10-CM transition by first identifying stakeholder needs. - Deborah Neville

7. Get creative. Establish an internal post graduate program that involves training and mentoring new graduates. Kayce Dover

8. Data Mining & Machine Learning are closely tied and often used interchangeably.

9. Growing your own coders can help you marry CDI and coding.

10. Plan for the worst. Utilize tools to analyze the new standards. Kayce Dover

General Tips

1. More specific documentation is needed when reporting sepsis. -Laura Legg

2. Develop documentation tip sheets for providers to utilize to help in documenting services in the emergency department.

3. Prior to implementation of #ICD10, have 2 or more coders code same case & review any discrepancies in codes or DRGs

4. Dual coding benefits can be very substantial but it can be expensive & resource-intensive, thus having a plan is key.

5. Develop documentation tip sheets for providers to utilize to help in documenting services in the emergency department.

6. Mapping from NOS to NOS is not good enough. Elevate that Not Otherwise 'Satisfied' documentation - Andrea Clark

7. Don't NOS (Not Otherwise Specified) your data! Consider the CHDA

8. Top worry of Home Health agencies regarding #icd10 is ADRs and denials caused by face to face documentation.

9. Ensure coding professionals have access to all reference material such as device formulary says Susan Belley.

10. The most challenging aspect of CDI is physician buy in- Laura Legg

11. Data Mining & Machine Learning are closely tied and often used interchangeably.

12. Concurrent CDI and coding = the route toward data improvement and integrity

Closing

As Claudia Tessier, ‏co-founder of Coding for Healthcare Professionals, posited to the crowd:

"What do #CD-10 & death have in common? Everybody tries to delay them, but they are inevitable."

Note: Thanks to all the Twitter accounts who shared info from this meeting including a few who stood out - as noted by Symplur: @ahimaresources @louwiedemann @julezd @lhima1 @acomfort03