Explore: ICD10

In October 2013, the new ICD-10 diagnostic code set will officially replace ICD-9 for all billing claims submitted by providers. With nearly ten times the number of codes as its predecessor – and every code itself growing to a longer, alphanumeric format – ICD-10 will require exponentially greater detail to be entered into every patient record and every physician and hospital bill.

No matter your perspective – financial, clinical, administrative or technical – the transition to ICD-10 will create seismic change across the spectrum of healthcare delivery. Here are three “new realities” of document workflow for which physicians and hospitals must prepare:

The demands on physician documentation will skyrocket.
The transition to ICD-10 is more than an expanded set of codes. It’s about creating a much more detailed patient record, with more specific diagnoses and treatments. As a result, physician documentation must be sufficiently legible, accurate and comprehensive to support this level of detail.

Care teams will require real-time access to every note in formats they can use.
Communication between physicians, coders and other members of the care team becomes spotty and inefficient when the right information is not available at the right time. The looming demands for greater clarity and detail driven by ICD-10 will require computer-assisted coding that begins at the point-of-care. Legacy technologies such as paper and dictation simply won’t deliver the speed and accuracy to support this workflow.

Physician adoption is critical to a successful transition.
The transition to ICD-10 promises to be disruptive and even a bit painful for everyone in the documentation workflow. Physicians, as the ultimate source of the myriad new data collected for ICD-10, are essential to this process and to the success of any workflow improvements your hospital implements.

The Salar ICD-10 Solution:

Physician-Friendly, Computer-Assisted Coding at the Point of Care
Salar supports a streamlined ICD-10 workflow with electronic documentation tools that capture codes at the point of care and route them seamlessly through review and billing processes:

• TeamNotes, our electronic inpatient documentation solution, enables physicians to quickly and easily capture ICD-10 codes at the point of care. Integrated document hygiene tools help create legible, accurate and comprehensive notes from the moment they’re authored. Seamless integration with existing EMR platforms means every note is available throughout the care team. As the most flexible and physician-friendly documentation tool on the market, TeamNotes ensures physician adoption by allowing them to customize their notes.

• TeamQuery helps ease the ICD-10 transition for inpatient coders by empowering them to review physician documentation and query in real time. Automatic capture of ICD-10 codes and immediate access to electronic notes dramatically eases the burden on coders to clarify documentation and communicate with the care team.

• TAP Charge Capture allows hospitals and physician practices to maximize reimbursements with confidence throughout the transition to ICD-10. TAP integrates with physician practice billing systems to streamline charge completion from the point of care. ICD-9/10 code lookup and search functions within TAP support the transition of super bills to ICD-10.

By working together to seamlessly link documentation, clinical review, communication and charge capture activities, Salar’s solutions help facilitate an organized and efficient transition to ICD-10 for physicians, coders, physician practices and the rest of the care team.