by
Barbara Kram, Editor | October 10, 2007
AHIMA is the nation’s
leading professional
Association for health
information management.
CHICAGO -- Diagnosis and procedure codes are the currency for many critical data transactions in the healthcare industry, according to an article in the October issue of the Journal of AHIMA. The possible implementation of the ICD-10 code set to upgrade the quality of healthcare data is an investment that includes the cost of mapping between the old and new code sets.
A recurring theme in the ongoing ICD-10 implementation debate has been the need for a "crosswalk" between the old and new code sets to help the industry make the transition. The lack of an "official" mapping between ICD-9 and ICD-10-CM/PCS has long been viewed as a major challenge to ICD implementation. The General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs) are an attempt to meet that challenge.
Healthcare organizations depend on coded data to govern reimbursement, monitor the health of the population, track trends in disease and treatment, and optimize the delivery of healthcare in the United States.
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The GEM files are a public domain reference mapping designed to provide all sectors of the healthcare industry that use coded data a tool to convert and test systems, link data in long-term clinical studies, develop application-specific mappings and analyze data collected during the transition period and beyond.
It is beneficial to think of GEMs as two-way translation dictionaries for diagnosis and procedure codes from which crosswalks can be made for specific purposes.
To reap the full benefits of switching to a new code currency, the healthcare industry needs to invest in two ways: educating HIM professionals to be able to effectively translate between the old and new codes; and the cost and time required to migrate to software and systems that use the new codes.
The article also displays charts that highlight mapping differences using GEMs, ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets.
About AHIMA
AHIMA is the leading professional Association for health information management representing more than 51,000 specially educated and certified professionals, working throughout the healthcare industry. HIM professionals serve healthcare and the public by managing, analyzing, and utilizing data vital for health system management
