ICD-10 Deadline – A Challenge of 2015

The new ICD-10 deadline comes as no surprise now that it was delayed several times. In July 2014, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implemented the most recent delay and set a new date of Oct. 1, 2015, giving hospitals a 10-month window to prepare for the eventual ICD-10 rollout. Because healthcare organizations are more adaptable than ever, they can use their practiced flexibility and experience to meet these demands successfully.

As Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) suggests, communication, education and testing must be part of an ICD-10 implementation plan. Informing internal staff and external partners of the transition is a crucial first step. ICD-10 should be tested internally and externally to verify the system works with the new codes before the transition. Healthcare organizations should outline and develop an ICD-10 training program by selecting a training team and assessing the populations who need ICD-10 education. They should perform a gap analysis to understand the training needed and utilize role-based training to educate the proper populations. Finally, organizations should establish the training delivery method, whether online, in the classroom, one-on-one, or some combination of these to teach different topics or levels of proficiency. In my experience at The Breakaway Group, I’ve seen that the most effective and efficient education is role-based, readily-accessible, and offers learners hands-on experience performing tasks essential to their role. This type of targeted education ensures learners are proficient before the implementation. As with any go-live event, healthcare organizations must prepare and deliver the new environment, providing support throughout the event and beyond.