- Start communicating with all of your vendors early to determine what systems will need to be upgraded;
- Discuss dates and times for system upgrades and/or installation, e.g., weekends, after hours, or during the week;
- Identify which systems, if any, will be down during the upgrades;
- Coordinate the timing of your electronic and manual system changes to best fit the needs of your practice; and
- Find out if there will be additional charges for any of the upgrades to your system(s).
Remember that your staff will be greatly affected by any system upgrades. Make sure to keep them informed of the planned changes, the timeline for when the changes will be completed, the expected training times, and any other important information so the workflow process will not be interrupted.
Preparing Your Practice
Staff training is a key area for your practice’s success and now is a good time to identify specific individuals to be the main contact for ICD-10 development and training. It is a good idea to have your lead coder/biller assigned to training and information on the code sets, while your practice managers and/or managing physicians can be involved in the impact assessment and transition planning.
Key staff members that will need the most training are those involved with coding and documentation. The list below identifies practice staff and the level of training needed:
- Administrative staff: Your schedulers, receptionist, etc., will need only an overview to get a general understanding of the new structure of ICD-10 codes. Your coders/billers will require the most training on the new code set. It is essential for this group to clearly understand the new code structure, coding guidelines, and conventions to deliver the highest level of specificity in coding for ICD-10.
- Clinical staff: Your physician assistant(s), nurses, nurse practitioner(s), etc., need training on the clinical concepts and level of detail in ICD-10 to promote better documentation. Physicians will require the most training on the new code set. Like your coders/billers, it is essential for all physicians in your practice—including yourself—to clearly understand the new code structure, coding guidelines and conventions to deliver the highest level of specificity in coding for ICD-10.
Tips for Staff Training
- Categorize the level of training needed for specific staff members;
- Coordinate the timeline for training and work with staff for completion of training;
- Identify the training format that will work best for your staff (e.g., classroom, Web-based, conference, etc.);
- Determine the amount of downtime the office will need during training; and
- Identify additional resources that the staff will need after training.
Coders and billers will need to take a proficiency test in diagnosis coding. This is a good time to have your staff educated on human anatomy and physiology to prepare them for the new code set. For more information on the proficiency exam, visit www.aapc.com.
