10 Reasons Doctros Are Pulling Their Hair Out

In the 2013-2014 era, doctors and providers are being asked to adapt to massive changes in their practices, businesses, and their modus operandi.  The stress from all these changes will be felt in the doctor-patient relationship.

Why are doctors unhappy?

1. Conversion of ICD-9 to ICD-10.  Nobody is sure of its value, but are painfully aware of the costs.  Having a code for a crash landing in a space craft would be relevant only for Sandra Bullock in Gravity!
2. Confusion created by the Affordable Care Act roll-out.  Not sure who's on first?  Who's covered? What's the fee schedule?  What are the new, complex rules?
3. High deductible insurance plans making payments at time of service mandatory.  Creating a new class of de-facto self-pay patients who formally were covered.
4. Acute or chronic reimbursement issues as? Fee for service will be replaced by outcome measurements.  What outcome measurements?  Who's measuring?
5. No relief from malpractice liability in most states.
6. Dealing with the Electronic Health record.  Did I purchase the right one?  The continuous moving target of getting meaningful use money. The accompaniment of possible claw backs if the data is not filled out correctly.
7. Hiring more help (scribes, medical assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants) to see potentially less patients.
8. Hiring more consultants to see potentially less patients.
9. Becoming the most expensive data technician in the room.
10. Fill in the blank __________________ yourself.

 

Practicing medicine is rapidly changing and providers will have to adjust to the new realities.  At what cost to the provider and patient will be determined in the future.

How to Help the ICD 9/ICD 10 Blues

Doctors and providers are taught to come up with a medical diagnosis compatible with the patient's condition.  However, this diagnosis must be translated into an ICD9 or ICD 10 code to create a CPT code (billing codes), which may be a foreign language to the provider.

 

Most EHRs compel one to pick a diagnosis that has a specific code..  The search engines take you to a particular area, but not necessarily to the proper code without an extensive, time-consuming search.

 

A quick solution to become "trilingual" (speak English/ICD 9/ ICD 10) will be of great aid to providers, office staff, billers, etc.

 

When the clinician comes up with the diagnosis they can "Google" this with their diagnosis and ICD 9 or 10.  This will take you to the location that has proper way of writing the diagnosis in this alternative universe with a code.

 

The clinician can then properly search their diagnosis list saving time.  The office state gets the number they want to finish the billing summary.

 

The one feature can save frustration and time.  This may be the ICD9 / ICD 10 "Google Stone".