In a letter to HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, American Medical Association President and CEO James L. Madara, MD, on behalf of the whole organization, urges HHS to reconsider forcing physicians to transition to ICD-10.
Dr. Madara argues transitioning to ICD-10, especially in the next eight months, is unlikely to improve care rendered by physicians and distracts from other priorities, such as health IT projects.
"Physicians are being asked to assume this burdensome requirement at the same time that they are being required to adopt new technology, re-engineer workflow, and reform the way they deliver care; all of which are interfering with their ability to care for patients and make investments to improve quality," he writes.
The letter acknowledges adopting ICD-10 may be beneficial to others in healthcare, especially researchers. However, the "crushing burden" the transition would place on physicians would ultimately be too disruptive on the industry.
The letter ends with an emphatically: "The AMA strongly urges CMS to reconsider the ICD-10 mandate."
The AMA has also taken to Twitter, using the hashtag #stopICD10 to garner support for the cause.
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