Monday, February 1, 2010

From the Elsevier Experts: Is Your Med Term Coverage "Up to Code?"

With changes coming to coding terminology, it’s important to evaluate your program’s med term coverage now.

When is a “resection” really an “excision?”

When it’s coded in ICD-10-PCS. As instructor and author Alice Noblin explains, “Certain common surgical procedures are defined differently in [ICD-10-]PCS than they are in Volume 3 of ICD-9[-CM].”

For example, transurethral resection of the prostate (the process of treating benign prostatic hyperplasia via the removal of tissue from the prostate) will now be coded as transurethral excision of the prostate. “With I-10, if you code it as a transurethral resection, you are coding removal of the prostate. So it’s going to be an adjustment for existing coders, too.”

Noblin, Health Information Management Program Director at the University of Central Florida, recently participated in an ICD-10 training seminar sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and noted the potential challenges presented by this new terminology. “Coders and coding students need to know about these changes. Relying on existing terminology will result in miscoding.”

How can you prepare?

As the leader in coding education resources, Elsevier is developing training solutions to help instructors adapt their programs to reflect the changes in terminology for PCS coding. Begin your preparation now by ensuring that your program’s medical terminology coverage is up to date.

Watch for tips on how to help students prepare for the coming changes, and register for updates now to get the latest ICD-10 news and information on Elsevier’s exclusive training program!

2 comments:

  1. Using Carol J. Buck's textbook(s), what is the least expensive online package for a beginning student to learn about coding.

    Students who wish to learn or improve coding skills do not have a lot of money for textbooks. Many also work full time.

    What are the suggestions.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your question.

    There are a number of ways you can use the packages to save money on textbooks and ICD and HCPCS references. One of the easiest ways is to buy the Step-by-Step text and workbook together in a package. This gives you a 10 percent discount on both products. To order this package, you can contact your Elsevier sales consultant, or go to ElsevierHealth.com to order.

    Thanks again for your comment, and best of luck with your coding education!

    -- The Elsevier ICD-10 Team

    ReplyDelete