4 EHR systems ready for the ICD-10 transition

A significant portion of the heavy lifting that comes with the ICD-10 transition occurs on the side of the EHR vendors whose approach to this transition can either complicate or simplify the process for practices.

Vendor response to the ICD-10 transition involves both technological adaptations and a specific customer support response. Regardless of how well prepared staff are for the transition, no amount of training can account for poorly performing software. Likewise, if staff are not fully supported in this process, even the best-equipped ICD-10 compliant software will not be able to accomplish its function. The following review includes a selection of industry leading EHR vendor’s efforts at smoothing out the ICD-10 transition.

AdvancedMD

In preparation for the ICD-10 transition, AdvancedMD has offered training material and ICD-10 tools to assist providers in preparing their practice for the October 1 deadline. In addition to offering a comprehensive support infrastructure, AdavancedMD recently rolled out a range of enhancements to its entire suite of products. These enhancements include:

• A unified ICD-10 ready charge slip
• A unified ICD-10 search function
• Updates to Patient Notes to account for ICD-10 coding

CureMD

Following suit with competitors, CureMD has bolstered up its customer support offerings related to ICD-10 in anticipation of the upcoming deadline. CureMD support has been updated to include a dedicated ICD consulting team focusing on training in ICD-10 and billing issues. Further, CureMD previously aligned its software offerings with ICD-10 by rolling out a fully ICD-10 compliant EHR in 2014 which includes a free training tool for physicians.

MediTouch

The MediTouch ICD-10 readiness program includes a suite of training tools similar to those offered by its competitors. MediTouch's EHR system is fully ICD-10 ready, with an ICD-10 mapping tool that allows users to translate ICD-9 codes into ICD-10 codes and vice versa. The system further attempts to make the process easier by offering side-by-side buttons for ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding. All of these options will be available after the deadline.

Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion’s approach to the switch to ICD-10 in most respects follows the customer service template employed by other vendors. However, they have adopted a unique model concerning their ICD-10 compliant EHR system. Dubbed the “Crosswalk at the Point of Care,” Practice Fusion’s EHR system offers functionality that allow users to enter either ICD-9, SNOMED, or ICD-10 codes to return ICD-10 results. The EHR also walks users through the complete ICD-10 structure, gathering the necessary details to select the most clinically relevant diagnoses and procedure codes.

EHR vendors appear to have responded to the ICD-10 transition with a full court press of customer support measures. However, with the impending deadline less than a week away, how vendors respond in the wake of the transition may be the most important value proposition.