The transition finally happens
After years of debate, several delays and lots of preparation, the big news this week was that it's finally time to start using the ICD-10 codeset.
It's too early to know what impact--positive or negative--the change will have on the healthcare industry. There were conflicting reports about whether providers were truly ready for the transition. And after fighting the change for years, the American Medical Association finally supported the switch once the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services agreed not to penalize providers for incorrect claims immediately after the transition.
Despite the magnitude of the switch to ICD-10, compared with everything else happening in health IT it could be considered small potatoes.
The American College of Physicians shared its thoughts on the federal strategic plan for health IT, calls for a Meaningful Use delay have increased and the Government Accountability Office issued a report detailing ongoing barriers to interoperability.
Much more to come...
Beth Walsh
Clinical Innovation + Technology editor
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.