New Medical Coding System Prompts Cash-Flow, Logistical Worries For Doctors, Hospitals
The new classification system, known as ICD-10, is set to go in use Oct. 1 and contains more than 100,000 new codes, which will force medical practices and insurers to upgrade and implement new practices. Meanwhile, the traditional stethoscope is also getting a modern overhaul.
The New York Times:
One Symptom In New Medical Codes: Doctor Anxiety
The nation’s health care providers are under orders to start using a new system of medical codes to describe illnesses and injuries in more detail than ever before. The codes will cover common ailments: Did a diabetic also have kidney disease? But also included are some that are far less common: whether the patient was crushed by a crocodile or sucked into a jet engine. (Pear, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
New Stethoscope Shows How Technology Can Reinvent Health Care
Today, the stethoscope remains a fixture in medicine, draped around the shoulders of doctors. It's also overdo for a makeover. Now Eko Devices, a Silicon Valley start-up, has received federal Food and Drug Administration approval for its digital stethoscope, which brings the power of modern technology to an already essential device. The implications could be huge for patient care. (McFarland, 9/11)
