title: The road to ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation: forecasting the transition for providers, payers, and other healthcare organizations.
abstract: This article will examine the benefits and challenges of the US healthcare system's upcoming conversion to use of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) and will review the cost implications of the transition. Benefits including improved quality of care, potential cost savings from increased accuracy of payments and reduction of unpaid claims, and improved tracking of healthcare data related to public health and bioterrorism events are discussed. Challenges are noted in the areas of planning and implementation, the financial cost of the transition, a shortage of qualified coders, the need for further training and education of the healthcare workforce, and the loss of productivity during the transition. Although the transition will require substantial implementation and conversion costs, potential benefits can be achieved in the areas of data integrity, fraud detection, enhanced cost analysis capabilities, and improved monitoring of patients' health outcomes that will yield greater cost savings over time. The discussion concludes with recommendations to healthcare organizations of ways in which technological advances and workforce training and development opportunities can ease the transition to the new coding system.
authors.affiliation: University of Mississippi Medical Center's Institute for Improvement of Minority Health and Health Disparities in the Delta Region, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Tekla B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Felicia M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Bowens
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Bridgette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stasher-Booker
authors.forename: Erica Q
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Warren A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000145:classification* / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States