In December, the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange sent HHS the results of its latest survey on ICD-10 readiness among healthcare stakeholders.
WEDI regularly conducts surveys on the status of ICD-10 readiness in the industry. The most recent installment revealed some forward progress — almost one-half of providers have now completed their impact assessment, up from one-sixth in February. However, the progress reported in the survey may not be enough. "It is clear the industry continues to make slow progress, but not the amount of progress that is needed for a smooth transition [to ICD-10]," according to WEDI's letter to HHS.
The latest survey sent a clear message to WEDI officials: "We're behind the curve," says Devin Jopp, EdD, president and CEO of WEDI. "We don't feel the industry is ready for the Oct. 1 deadline."
In an effort to help healthcare organizations through what Dr. Jopp sees as a potentially very difficult next 10 months, WEDI partnered with CMS and several other public and private organizations on the ICD-10 Industry Implementation Success Initiative. The initiative aims to proactively detect and address issues that could prevent on-time compliance.
"We're creating a place where people can get their questions answered and find educational resources," says Dr. Jopp. "It's for organizations who are running into dead ends and don't know where to turn — we'll do our best to get answers to their questions."
Organizations can submit their questions to an online database for review, free of charge. The questions are then reviewed at regular meetings of initiative officials from WEDI, CMS and other organizations, the question will be passed along to the most relevant initiative partner and answers will be posted online as appropriate.
"We'll also be looking at the issues that come up to figure out which educational topics are the most pertinent," says Dr. Jopp. "For example, if we get a lot of questions about a specific topic, we will hold a monthly webinar on that specific issue or best practices."
Dr. Jopp hopes the initiative will provide the resources necessary to avoid having the Oct. 1 deadline become an emergency. "The reality is, right now there's a very short runway to get the work done and get off the ground," he says. "Unless we can get everyone moving quickly, there will be disruptions in the industry."
More Articles on ICD-10 Readiness:
5 Notable Stories on ICD-10
9 Statistics on Vendor, Provider, Insurer ICD-10 Readiness
Preparing for ICD-10 Requires Leadership, Communication of Benefits