Weighty Issues
Weighty Issues
The changeover to ICD-10 presents a number of burdens
Are the clinicians in Shannon’s practice ready for the new documentation requirements that go with ICD-10?
Mike strolled into the physical therapy practice. It always made him feel energized just to walk in — the bright colors and happy faces gave the room a sense of energy, and even when it was quiet, he felt as though upbeat music might start at any moment.
Not today. Mike saw his wife talking with Tana, one of the trainers, and stopped in his tracks.
Tana’s arms were crossed. Her head was pointed down and her lips were tight. She was balanced on both feet but leaning back; Tom felt that she looked ready to protect herself.
Shannon seemed calm, but somehow the more Tana leaned back, the more Shannon seemed to move in. Shannon was gesturing, but it didn’t look as though she was angry.
“Hey!†Mike called out cheerfully. Maybe I can break the spell, he thought.
“Hi, honey. Have you met Tana? My husband, Mike.â€
Tana shook hands and smiled, but she still seemed troubled to Mike.
“Nice to meet you, Mike. And Shannon — thanks for letting me know.â€
“Sure thing,†said Shannon. “Don’t worry, okay? We’ll work it out!â€
Mike thought that Shannon’s usual cheerfulness seemed a little strained, too. He walked with her to her office in silence.
“So? Anything you want to talk about?â€
Shannon sighed. “Were you coming to take me to lunch, by any chance?â€
“I was coming to let you know that I’ve caught an extra shift tonight; Saul’s getting married tomorrow, so for some reason he wants the evening off. I’m going to cover for him at the dinner service and I probably won’t be home till late. If you’ve got the time, I’d be happy to keep you company over lunch.â€
“I’m going to make the time,†Shannon said, shrugging into a jacket. She was silent again as they crossed the room, waving and smiling as she went, and her smile disappeared once they left the building.
“So what’s up?†Mike asked, putting an arm around his wife as they strolled down the street, heading for a favorite sandwich shop.
“Do you remember the day I came home and told you how everybody had gotten so upset at the meeting about the new software?â€
“I do. I remember you felt blindsided.â€
“I sure did. And my talk with Tana was like that, too.†Shannon turned into the shop and joined the line of hungry customers. “You know we’re working on making some big changes with the insurance reporting codes.â€
“ICD-10 versus ICD-9. It’s engraved on my heart,†Mike joked.
“I know what you mean!†Shannon laughed back. “Anyway, we’ve been working on getting our office systems up to speed for the change in October, and I’ve reached the point where I talk with the clinicians about their approaches to documentation.â€
“I remember you said the changes in the codes would affect everything, not just the billing systems.†Mike reached the front of the line and ordered. Shannon grabbed a couple of bottles of water and they headed to a table.
“It’s going to be good in some ways,†she said, picking up the thread of their conversation again, “but it’s important for us to get it right. Just one small example — we have to specify which side of the body we’re working with now.â€
“That doesn’t sound like something to be upset about.â€
“I know! But somehow as we discussed how specific the new documentation needs to be, it seemed as though Tana felt like I was criticizing her. Worse than that, I thought she was going to cry.â€
“Her body language looked very defensive,†Mike agreed. “You don’t have any idea where that’s coming from?â€
Shannon shook her head.
“Maybe,†Mike said, raising one eyebrow, “there’s a childhood trauma involved.â€
Shannon rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, but I know that we all have to get on board with the new requirements for documentation, or we’re going to be doing a lot of work for free.â€
Are the clinicians in Shannon’s practice ready for the new documentation requirements that go with ICD-10?
Want to know how to prepare your practice for ICD-10 coding?
People are resistant to change, especially when it’s thrust upon them like ICD-10. At least Shannon and Tana have had enough notice to get their practice compliant.
This is an important problem because inaccurate documentation and coding
becomes a compliance issue and increased audit risk. It’s also
difficult problem because of the sheer volume of new codes and their
complexity, including laterality (side of the body) and specificity
(explicit details of the problem).
ICD-10 makes documentation a hundred times more complicated. That means potentially a hundred times more room for error. Add to the fact that the minority of physicians have done anything to prepare for it and it becomes clear that ICD-10 preparation shouldn’t be done alone.
I would suggest making a plan for implementation and pairing up with a physical therapy software vendor who can ease the transition with features like crossover walks and ICD-10 training. There is one ICD-10 webinar for PTs coming up on March 19: https://yp122.infusionsoft.com/app/page/bestpt-blog-reg-page-icd10b
Having a solid plan in place to implement the changes being made with ICD-10 will reduce the frustration for the practice and staff when the dead line of Oct 1st nears.
The upcoming ICD-10 changes will be difficult for all clinicians. The only way to be ready in October is to begin preparing now. Research and education now will lesson the pain of the transition as the date gets closer.
The more you know about a problem, the better prepared you are to tackle any problem head on. Prepare yourself for the changes to minimize frustration and coding erros and increase chances of being successful.
Shannon has a tremendous challenge ahead of her. Information can help, but purpose has to come first. If Shannon is clear on her purpose and how ICD-10 is an integral part of that, not only will she be more prepared, she will be more willing to give the effort necessary to succeed. She might even enjoy it!
As the ICD-10 deadline approaches, it is important for Shannon and all her staff members to understand the changes involved and work together to accomplish the same goal which is to be prepared.
As the deadline looms closer Shannon’s office needs to work together to put a plan in place to prepare for the challenges ahead. If everyone works together they will have an easier time making the change.
just signed up for this webinar! who else is joining?
https://yp122.infusionsoft.com/app/page/bestpt-blog-reg-page-icd10b
With the big coding changes rapidly approaching, tension within the office is likely to rise. It is important that the clinicians work together to establish the biggest changes and put a plan in place to ease the transition. Research should be done in order to be prepared and so that there will not be any surprises. The more information you have, the better off you will be.
The office isn’t ready yet, but they are smart to begin taking the steps necessary now rather than waiting until the ICD-10 deadline is any closer. Offices that wait until the end of the summer before they start preparing will likely be facing devastating pressure in the office and a severe disruption in their insurance collections.
How many PT offices are there across the United States? This problem will be repeated in every one of them and those staff members won’t be happy either. bestPT has been preparing for ICD-10 for over a year, so ask them for help.