{"id":1470,"date":"2016-01-25T13:04:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T21:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addison.lwh.dev\/insights\/icd-10-whats-next\/"},"modified":"2016-01-25T13:04:47","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T21:04:47","slug":"icd-10-whats-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addisongroup.com\/insights\/icd-10-whats-next\/","title":{"rendered":"ICD-10: What\u2019s Next for Healthcare?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the first months following the deadline for ICD-10 implementation, healthcare organizations invested significantly in overhauling 14,000 old ICD-9 codes for 68,000 new ones, and there\u2019s still work to be done. It was well known that the implementation of ICD-10, a major event in the modernization of healthcare, would not be cheap or easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of explicit cost, according the a 2014 survey, the American Medical Association estimated<\/a> the typical small, medium and large practice could ring up over $200,000, $800,000 and $8 million, respectively, on implementation. While most predictions overestimated the cost burden healthcare organizations would acquire, inefficiencies elsewhere have arisen that will continue to require resources as the full impact of implementation is realized. For example, matching the right code with the right diagnosis is still a process that requires adjustment by most organizations as confusion over new codes caused by small discrepancies from ICD-9 has resulted in a steep learning curve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, ICD-10 ultimately will help improve and streamline operations for healthcare organizations \u2013 and at a cost less than what they initially anticipated. To ensure implementation is as painless as possible, having the right technical staff onboard is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addison Group, a staffing firm that specializes in placing medical coders, forecasts the following trends as healthcare organizations make the ICD-10 switch, and foresees these areas as a priority throughout 2016:<\/p>\n\n\n\n