AHIMA's Virtual Data Summit: Practice, Accuracy Key To Get The Most Out Of Data For ICD-10 Implementation And Beyond

The impending transition to ICD-10 and the need to ensure coder productivity through practice and to maintain a high level of accurate detail were the focus of the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) first Virtual Data Summit.

Presenter Rose T. Dunn, MBA, RHIA, CPA, CHPS, FACHE, FAHIMA, chief operating officer,

First Class Solutions, Inc., kicked off the summit by discussing the impact practicing in ICD-10 has on coder productivity. Dunn shared her firm’s studies showing that coders needed less time to code in ICD-10 in 2015 than they had in 2014. For example, in coding medical inpatient discharges, coders improved 35 percent in one year, reducing time from 31.7 minutes in 2014 to 20.8 minutes in 2015. Similar results were seen in other coding situations as well.

“Coding practice is imperative,” said Dunn. “Management should consider allowing their coders to practice ICD-10 coding non-stop throughout September to prepare them for Oct. 1 and use contract services to code in ICD-9 for billing purposes that month.”

The benefits of proper data collections were also showcased by the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center.

In her presentation, “State Data Collection – What is Collected and Why Do All Those Details Matter?,” Debbie Rickelman, RHIT, vice president, privacy officer for the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center, asserted that detailed data elements submitted for claims payment are used for many other reasons such as state data collection, federal reporting, quality reporting value-based payment and research.

“Many data elements are prone to errors, and it is important to make a conscious effort to minimize those errors,” said Rickelman. “By using AHIMA’s Information Governance Principles, our organization has found that common errors have decreased, and our accountability, transparency, compliance, protection, availability, retention and integrity have increased for the benefit of everyone.”

Wisconsin has been preparing statewide for the Oct. 1 transition to ICD-10. Rickelman said 23 hospitals have tested with the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center. All tests were successful and a dataset for public use was created as well.

“ICD-10 has substantial impact on our work and data use,” said Rickelman. “There will be a transition period with ICD-10 implementation that will affect data quality and data output, particularly in regard to trending. We should all be mindful of this transition period and be aware of the nuances as they relate to your particulate data use. It will be a great time of learning.”

“Whether you are a collector, analyst or trend forecaster, it is in everyone’s best interest to have meticulous, detailed data,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. “As we move into future uses for this data, such as population health, AHIMA will be at the forefront of best practices, innovation and proper use of healthcare data.”

The Virtual Data Summit included 19 presentations which were available for access through an online platform. For more information on those sessions, please visit http://www.ahima.org/events/2015aug-data-virtual.

About AHIMA
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents more than 101,000 health information management and health informatics professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information. For more information, visit www.ahima.org