Before the healthcare industry reaches the ideal of automated computer assisted coding, human coders are going to be instrumental in the transition to ICD-10. The problem? There is a national shortage of quality coders, according to Matthew Jenkins, senior vice president of corporate business development at M*Modal.
In an M*Modal report, Mr. Jenkins wrote that while healthcare technology has quickly progressed in the realm of clinical documentation, the human specialty and expertise in coding has not matched its growth.
"When you can't find those coders, it's an amazing challenge — no matter how good your technology may be in collecting and capturing data," he wrote.
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