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Role-based Model for ICD-10 Implementation: Academic Timeline for Educators

Educators

In the transition to ICD10, the overriding goal for Educators is to ensure that students graduating in the ICD-10 Implementation year are prepared to pass their credentialing exam and enter the workforce as qualified ICD-10-CM/PCS coders, analysts, and managers. To accomplish this, Educators will be among the first in the country who need to be trained on ICD-10-CM/PCS.

Transitioning curriculum from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS as students move through their programs will pose unique challenges in the intervening years. The key to a graceful evolution of curriculum throughout the ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation is early planning for curriculum revisions, creative use of teaching tools, and adequate faculty preparation.

To Do Phase 1:

  1. Develop an institutional timeline for faculty training and curriculum revision. Consider the impact of the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS on both faculty (prep time) and students (sequencing of courses), and formulate a project plan to accomplish all steps according to the timeline.
  2. Discuss and seek input on the project plan from both Advisory Board and professional practice experience (PPE) sites.
  3. Schedule faculty to attend one of the AHIMA Academy for ICD-10 sessions.
  4. Assess biomedical sciences courses (e.g., anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and pathophysiology). Determine if prerequisites and course material in biomedical sciences courses are sufficient for the enhanced emphasis of life science knowledge needed in ICD-10-CM/PCS coding courses.
  5. Determine where to include or expand on ICD-10-CM/PCS introductory content in the current curriculum. In addition to coding courses, consider enhancing the following courses: Introductory HIM, Reimbursement Methodologies, Quality Management, Information Systems, Data Analysis, and Alternate Healthcare Settings. Incorporate parallel concepts throughout courses as appropriate to provide a gradual, basic introduction to ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  6. Develop a plan to revise curriculum, including timeline for curriculum revision, (taking the institution's curriculum approval process into account). This should include determining if current curriculum can be revised, or if additional courses and lab sessions will need to be added.
  7. Conduct a gap analysis to determine where new course content and possible new courses need to be developed. This step may need to occur after faculty complete the AHIMA Academy for ICD-10 so that they will have the background needed to complete the analysis.
  8. Complete a review of course descriptions and course prerequisites to ensure they remain appropriate with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  9. Complete a review of sequencing of HIM and biomedical courses to ensure the sequencing remains appropriate with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  10. Determine funding availability for software, books, and faculty training. Budget additional dollars for faculty training, and consider the timing of faculty training—the coding faculty will need time to become proficient in ICD-10-CM/PCS.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 2:

  1. Evaluate readiness of faculty to teach ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  2. Develop revised course syllabi to incorporate both coding systems into the academic schedule (coding classes continue to focus on ICD-9-CM with introduction of basic ICD-10-CM/PCS concepts and guidelines); begin using the ICD-10-CM/PCS encoder system in student assignments (either through the AHIMA Virtual Lab or through the school's own encoder vendor).
  3. Legacy training: determine how to address the need to continue to teach ICD-9-CM as a legacy system. Students will need to know how to manipulate trending data for coding reports that span years where both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS codes are used in the report.
  4. Test your timeline:  do you need to revise your initial project plan? Take into account timing issues that may set the project back (budget not approved for training, loss of trained faculty, etc.).
  5. By the school cycle two years prior to implementation, you should now have expanded curriculum content on courses affected by ICD-10-CM/PCS changes (e.g. include a more intensive review of the ICD-10-CM/PCS guidelines and provide hands-on activities involving both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS).
  6. Assess where each student is in relation to progression through the HIM program and their anticipated graduation date. A firm graduation plan is critical during this transitional time as it affects which courses the student should complete. Note: special attention should be directed towards the part-time students.
  7. If needed, continue in-depth training of coding faculty on ICD-10-CM/PCS so they become proficient in the new coding systems.
  8. Begin basic ICD-10-CM/PCS training for all HIM faculty (beyond coding instructors as all HIM faculty will need to have basic knowledge regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS).
  9. Create a support system for ICD-10-CM/PCS trained faculty to assure that they become proficient and maintain their skill level in ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  10. Budget additional dollars for training if necessary.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 3:

  1. Develop student advisory materials, explaining the transition, versions of courses offered and matriculation issues so that students fully understand ICD-10-CM/PCS' impact on the sequencing of their courses.
  2. Review and select new textbooks for the fall term two years prior to implementation.
  3. Associate and baccalaureate: for those programs offering coding classes both years, the first-year coding courses will teach both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS beginning in the fall semester or quarter to prepare students to convert completely to ICD-10-CM/PCS in second-year coding courses. (Note: programs offering all of their ICD coding classes during year one of their program will need to convert completely to ICD-10-CM/PCS for their coding classes beginning two years prior to implementation. Programs offering all of their ICD coding classes during year two of the program can continue to focus on ICD-9-CM with introduction of basic ICD-10-CM/PCS concepts and guidelines.)
  4. If still needed, complete the in-depth training of coding faculty on ICD-10-CM/PCS. (This summer is the last chance to train coding faculty in ICD-10-CM/PCS before the shift in curriculum.)
  5. Continue and/or begin ICD-10-CM/PCS training for all HIM faculty. (Beyond coding instructors, all HIM faculty will need to have a basic knowledge of ICD-10-CM/PCS.)
  6. Continue to provide a support system for ICD-10-CM/PCS trained faculty to assure that the faculty become proficient and maintain their skill level in ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  7. Determine if your academic institution will engage in continuing education for the coding community to help prepare the existing workforce (this decision will trigger a sequence of milestones to address workforce training needs that are not reflected here).
  8. Consider offering students who will graduate one year prior to implementation the ability to audit the ICD-10 coding courses in the implementation year in order to help them with the transition, or provide other incentives to help them expand on their ICD-10 skill sets.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 4:

  1. By the end of August one year prior to implementation, coding certificate programs (one year or less) complete conversion to ICD-10-CM/PCS in all coding courses. Associate and baccalaureate programs complete conversion in second-year coding courses.
  2. Determine course curriculum needs related to ICD-9-CM legacy concepts. Students should know how to provide conversion mapping and trend report analysis across the two classification systems.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 5:

  1. In the spring of the implementation year, the first group of HIM students will graduate with full training in ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  2. In June to September of the implementation year, the first students will sit for CCA, CCS, RHIT, and RHIA credential exams where ICD-10-CM/PCS is the predominant coding classification system.

Corresponding Resources: