"You have to start there because there are so many systems in use even by the smaller practices, and all of those systems have to talk to each other with the new ICD-10 codes. When you get to implementation, how will you ensure that all these systems are talking to one another the way they are supposed to?"
That integration of disparate systems is proving to be one of the biggest challenges for physician practices, Stilley says.
Many providers just getting started
Meeting the deadline is creating a lot of pressure for providers, partly because of the significant investment in new technology and consulting services. At least one company—whose survey also confirms that physicians are lagging in their preparations—is trying to allay some of those fears by guaranteeing that physician practices will be ready by the deadline or it will return the money invested.
The number of healthcare providers who may not be ready for implementation of the ICD-10 code sets is alarming, according to a report from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in Chicago. The survey interviewed more than 300 health information management professionals representing 293 healthcare organizations. The goal of the survey was to identify the themes and best practices that are emerging as the healthcare industry moves closer to ICD-10's October 1, 2014, deadline.