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Your friend Mary works in the medical records department at the local hospital. She is in charge of making sure that the correct diagnostic codes are being recorded for the procedures performed at the hospital. She tells you that she occasionally comes across a code that she does not know, so she looks it up. Mary tells you that she lost her new ICD-9-CM codebook that is currently being used, so she looks up the codes in the old ICD-8 codebook.
What can happen as a result of Mary using codes that are from an outdated manual?
I really need help answering this question.
Obviously, some of the codes have been changed in the new codebook. Mary may be recording incorrect diagnostic codes, causing the patient, doctor, and insurance company major problems.
Hi Sue, is there more to say about the old ICD-8 codebook compared to the ICD codebook-9 diagnosis?
I have no idea! What have you learned from your text materials?
Your friend Mary works in the medical records department at the local hospital. She is in charge of making sure that the correct diagnostic codes are being recorded for the procedures performed at the hospital. She tells you that she occasionally comes across a code that she does not know, so she looks it up. Mary tells you that she lost her new ICD-9-CM codebook that is currently being used, so she looks up the codes in the old ICD-8 codebook. What can happen as a result of Mary using codes that are from an outdated manual?
Using outdated codes from an older codebook can have several implications for Mary and the hospital. Firstly, the accuracy and reliability of the diagnostic codes may be compromised. Medical coding is crucial for insurance billing, research, and tracking patient outcomes. Using outdated codes could lead to errors in medical records, potentially resulting in denied insurance claims, incorrect reimbursement, or inaccurate data for medical research and analysis.
Secondly, using outdated codes may violate compliance and regulatory requirements. Health care organizations are required to use current and up-to-date code sets for accurate billing and reporting. Using outdated codes could lead to non-compliance with industry standards and regulations, potentially resulting in penalties, audits, or loss of accreditation for the hospital.
Furthermore, relying on outdated codes may not adequately capture new medical advancements or evolving medical terminology. The classification and coding systems are regularly updated to reflect changes in medical knowledge, procedures, and technology. By using outdated codes, important clinical information may be overlooked, leading to incomplete or inaccurate documentation of patient care.
Therefore, it is crucial for Mary and the hospital to ensure they have access to and use the most updated codebooks and stay informed about changes in coding guidelines to maintain accuracy, compliance, and quality in medical record-keeping.