SALT LAKE CITY – With health systems scrambling to meet the October 1, 2013, ICD-10 implementation deadline, 3M Health Information Systems aims to help with staff training with its 3M ICD-10 Education Program.

Officials say the he program’s 22 Web-based training modules leverage nearly 30 years of 3M coding experience and the know-how of more than 100 credentialed 3M coding experts to prepare coders, documentation improvement specialists and other staff for the complexities of ICD-10 coding and documentation.

[See also: ICD-10 deadline: 'unworkable' or 'at long last'?.]

The 3M ICD-10 Education Program offers a content-rich ICD-10 curriculum delivered in the specific context needed for different job functions, say 3M execs. Based on staff responsibilities, trainees are matched to the right education track allowing them to focus on the ICD-10 training most relevant to their work. The program offers self-testing tools and advanced reporting features so ICD-10 steering committees and transition leaders can measure staff progress over time.

“ICD-10 brings a dramatic increase in the number of codes, from about 17,000 today to more than 140,000,” said Susan Belley, 3M senior coding consultant. “To adequately prepare for ICD-10’s increased specificity, coders, documentation specialists and even certain service lines will need more in-depth education than other staff.



She added that, "using a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to training won’t ensure ICD-10 readiness. Hospitals should begin now to initiate specialized education that builds competency well in advance of ICD-10 implementation.”

[See also: Time for ICD-10 tools is now.]

With more than 15 years experience in developing and maintaining ICD-10 products, 3M, under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has developed the ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (PCS) and the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), and produced the initial conversion of MS-DRGs to ICD-10.

Belley recently joined 3M after serving as coding and documentation improvement manager for the Cleveland Clinic. She leads a 3M team of clinical and coding education specialists developing the 3M ICD-10 Education Program, including focused training by job function in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and documentation requirements.

“As a former client, I trust 3M coding,” she noted. “I committed to lead development of the training curriculum because I knew coursework would be built on a solid foundation of ICD-10 expertise, using essential coding principles and guidelines.” 3M coding solutions are used by more than 5,000 hospitals worldwide to code and group patient data for decision support, quality measurement, and reimbursement.

The 3M ICD-10 Education Program is designed primarily for inpatient, outpatient and professional fee coders and documentation improvement specialists , but the web-based subscription service allows for broad access throughout the healthcare organization. 3M clients using the 3M Coding and Reimbursement System or the 3M Clinical Documentation Improvement System can take advantage of introductory pricing, available through the end of 2011.