According to the report, any charting used by coders for billing will need to include clearer details, meaning nurses must be trained in ICD-10 clinical documentation requirements in order to prevent delays and denials. ICD-10 has a greater level of specificity than ICD-9 for problems, assessments, procedures and treatments. For example, ICD-9 includes nine codes for pressure ulcers, while ICD-10 has over 125.
The report recommends that nurses specializing in informatics work with interdisciplinary teams to modify clinical documentation and workflow. Nurse involvement in building these processes can ensure speedier payment for facilities and improve reimbursement accuracy as coders adapt to the new system.
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