3M Upgrades Translation Tool To Ease ICD-10 Conversion For Your Healthcare IT Clients

3M (MMM) has recently announced the newest version of the 3M ICD-10 Translation Tool, according to Zacks.com.

It has been updated with CPT (current procedural terminology) and other HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) codes and will aid physician practices, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations in converting their existing records, systems, and reports into the compatible ICD-10 formats.

Based In The Cloud

The translation tool is a cloud-based application that leverages 3M’s existing coding experience and resources in the industry to:

• Analyze clinical information
• Create mappings and lists
• Classify complex coding relationships

The software is intended for use in converting CPT and ICD-9 based forms, policies, reports, systems, and reimbursement contracts to the new coding system as well as measuring the financial impact of the transition on an entity’s future reimbursement.

The Tech

The translation tool uses sophisticated translation technology to re-evaluate lists (ICD-9, CPT, and other HCPCS codes) and relate them to an ICD-10 code. This function will enable ICD-10 transition teams to normalize reports, update processes, train staff, and generally reduce the temporal and resource costs that are such a concern around code conversion.

The tool comes as a part of 3M’s ICD-10 suite of services and software, but the company also offers consulting services around ICD-10 for clinical documentation enhancement, as well as its ICD-10 education program.

For Solutions Providers

According to research by ReportLinker, the market for products like 3M’s tool is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17 percent until 2019. This will come in the form of opportunities for solutions providers including helping organizations navigate code cross walking and questions around code details and specificity. Organizations can position themselves to help coders make the transition, as well as offer tools and services for successful ICD-10 implementation.

Readiness For ICD-10 Implementation

While many providers may need help, the Government Accountability Office has long declared CMS ready for ICD-10 implementation, acknowledging the work the agency has done to prepare for the transition. The declaration comes in the form of a report issued earlier this year that covered the use of codes overall and detailed the work CMS had done in creating outreach and educational materials for covered entities.

CMS recently released the results of its second week of ICD-10 testing, with a full 88 percent of claims being accepted this round. That number is up from 81 percent in the previous testing week according to Healthcare Dive. In total, 23,138 test claims were submitted and 20,306 were accepted. Of those, 2 percent were rejected because of invalid ICD-10 diagnosis or procedure codes, and less than 1 percent because of invalid submission of ICD-9 codes.

The final testing week will take place beginning July 20 and run through July 24. Any entities that participated in one of the first two rounds of testing receive automatic eligibility to participate in July’s testing.

Going Deeper

For information on helping your clients navigate the shift, please read, “Steps You Can Take To Help Your Healthcare IT Clients Prepare For ICD-10”.