Squirrel Bites & Lamppost Run-Ins: Even Strange Injuries, Conditions Coded Under ICD-10
Doctors' offices are now adapting to a new generation medical coding system, the International Classification of Diseases or ICD-10, that went live this week with nearly 70,000 codes for every medical circumstance from the common to the rare, including crushed by alligator.
The Texas Tribune:
New Era For Health Records Drives Demand For Medical Scribes
Starting Thursday, most U.S. health care providers must switch to a new system of computer codes for recording patient ailments — the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. While some doctors worry that the new requirements are an expensive and disruptive set of government mandates, supporters say the new technology is long overdue. They say the upgrade will help keep patients from receiving expensive or harmful medical interventions by making it easier for doctors to share information about patients' histories. (Walters, 10/1)
NBC News:
Struck By A Turtle? There's A Code For That
Walk into a lamppost? There's a special code for that. Did someone bite you by accident? There's a code for that, too. There's one code if you're being fitted for an artificial leg on the right side and another code if it's on the left. (Fox, 10/1)
CNN:
Bit By A Squirrel? There's Now A Code For That (W53.21XA)
If you get hurt in a close encounter with a sea lion, injured at the library or burned when your water skis catch on fire for the second time, you are now in luck. (Christensen, 10/1)
