Keep it simple, stupid
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Philip F. Jacobus, CEO | September 09, 2015
How many of you remember the old saying, "KISS - Keep it simple, stupid"?
Starting in October, CMS is going to roll out the World Health Organization's ICD-10 protocols. ICD-9, which the U.S. has used since 1979, has 13,000 codes.
With ICD-10 there will be 68,000 codes.
Where ICD-9 had a code for "ankle sprain," ICD-10 has codes for left ankle, right ankle, how the sprain occurred, and so on.
More information is great, but I cannot help wondering how everyone is going to keep track of all these codes.
Here at DOTmed, we have cataloged about 150 different possible issues that could come up that we have to deal with when we provide our customer service. There is a simple electronic tool that allows us to find the appropriate form email, edit it to take the current situation into account and then send it to the customer so they have all the information they need.
Only 150... and yet our customer service team still has to spend a few minutes every day hunting for the right one.
What would it be like if there were five times as many codes?
I envision all of these people weeping because of the time they have to spend hunting for the correct code.
Then again, we live in an era of big data and maybe specificity will add a new level of efficiency to our health care system. Maybe "simple" is changing.
What do you think? Will ICD-10 make health care better?
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About Phil Jacobus
Phil Jacobus has been involved in health care since 1977, when he visited China to sell equipment. He has done business in 35 countries and still travels extensively. Phil is active in charity, helps rural clinics and always tries to help DOTmed users when he can.
Phil is a member of AHRA, HFMA, AAMI and the Cryogenic Society of America. He has contributed to a number of magazines and journals and has addressed trade groups.
Phil's proudest achievement is that he has been happily married to his wife Barbara since 1989, who helped him found DOTmed in 1998.
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