4 Things to Know About the Zika Virus and Health IT

Similar to the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014, healthcare IT will play a critical role in tracking the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes flulike symptoms in patients and is particularly concerning for pregnant women. The virus is currently spreading in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and disease surveillance technology is key […]

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The 18 Most Bizarre ICD-10 Codes [Infographic]

While the ICD-10 implementation deadline has changed a few times, the ICD-10 code itself is set - and quite specific. If you go to the hospital because of, say, a sea lion bite, a fall into a prison swimming pool or a nasty library injury, you're covered in coding terms, as there's a code for […]

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AHA Releases ICD-10 Transition Checklist for Hospital Leaders

The Oct. 1 ICD-10 deadline is less than two months away, which means hospitals should be in the homestretch for implementing ICD-10 codes. With that in mind, the American Hospital Association (AHA) released a checklist this week that hospitals should follow to ensure a successful transition. The AHA is encouraging hospital leaders to share the […]

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Top Healthcare Trends of 2015 (Infographic)

"The only thing constant in life is change," said Heraclitus, circa 500 B.C., and the year 2015 - and the healthcare industry - are no exception. With the second quarter of 2015 underway, more healthcare transition is on the horizon for the remainder of 2015. The ICD-10 deadline is Oct. 1, and by the end of […]

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5 Health IT Hashtags to Follow

Supporters of ICD-10 will take to Twitter today to engage in hashtag advocacy for their cause. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is promoting a Twitter rally using the hashtag #ICD10Matters to urge Congress to stick to the October 1 deadline for implementing the ICD-10 diagnostic code update. AHIMA claims a previous rally held earlier […]

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Most Providers Ready to Start ICD-10 Testing by End of Year

A majority of healthcare providers in a new survey say they used last year’s ICD-10 implementation delay to their advantage and are prepared to start testing. A newly released ICD-10 readiness survey from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) says that 65% of respondents could begin end-to-end testing prior to the fourth quarter of 2015, […]

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How ICD-10 Could Help Track Ebola Outbreak [Infographic]

With more than 3,000 known Ebola cases and 1,500 deaths from the virus, public health officials and healthcare organizations are eager to track the spread of Ebola and share this data with others in the industry. Currently, there is no specific ICD-9 code for Ebola; it's tracked in hospitals that have not updated to ICD-10 with […]

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6 Resources to Learn about ICD-10 Testing

With the ICD-10 countdown clock again ticking toward the October 1, 2015, compliance deadline, I’m reminded of the rush to complete Y2K projects in 1999. There is a lot of work to do and less than year left to do it. The deadline represents thousands of hours of testing work for QA professionals and applications […]

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Advice From a HIT Man: Take the Meaningful Use Cannoli

In "The Godfather," the character Peter Clemenza reminds us that even in violent, turbulent times, something sweet can be salvaged. As we all assess and improvise after the ICD-10 delay, we can’t ignore the cannoli. Meaningful Use Stage 2 and the ICD-10 adoption were aligned to create “the perfect storm.” They are now offset by a […]

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The Mourning After: Assessing the Fallout From the ICD-10 Delay

In the wake of last month’s abrupt and unexpected ICD-10 delay, powerful healthcare groups remain at odds over what happened -- and what comes next. The American Medical Association (AMA), ostensibly the voice of the physician, opposes the ICD-10 mandate in its entirety.  Doctors see significant costs and practice burdens associated with the coding update […]

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It’s Groundhog Day for Medicare Rate Fix, ICD-10 Delay

“…Secretary of Health and Human Services may not prior to October 1, 2015 adopt The ICD 10 code sets as the standard codes.” - H.R. 4302 Never say never. On March 27, the House passed H.R. 4302: Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014. This act, among other things, defers until April 1, 2015 the SGR (sustainable […]

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ICD-10 Business Analyst Role Available in Florida

Consultant Advisor Caitlin Gentry has a hot new ICD-10 Business Analyst role available for the right candidate. Located just outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., our client is looking for someone with deep experience with 3M tools, as well as medical coding and ICD-10 training. Contract length for the role is one year. For more information, […]

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