As hospitals across the country prepare for the 2013 implementation of the ICD-10 coding standard, 3M Health Information Systems is helping facilities address the crucial need for staff training with the launch of the 3M ICD-10 Education Program. The program’s 22 web-based training modules leverage nearly 30 years of 3M coding experience and the know-how of more than 100 credentialed 3M coding experts to prepare coders, documentation improvement specialists and other essential hospital staff for the complexities of ICD-10 coding and documentation.

The 3M ICD-10 Education Program goes beyond standard textbook-based learning to provide a content-rich ICD-10 curriculum delivered in the specific context needed for different job functions. Based on staff responsibilities, trainees are matched to the right education track allowing them to focus on the ICD-10 training most relevant to their work. The program offers self-testing tools and advanced reporting features so ICD-10 steering committees and transition leaders can measure staff progress over time. With web-based access, training can be easily paced and scheduled into the day-to-day workflow.

3M Health Information Systems is an international leader in ICD-10 classification with more than 15 years experience in developing and maintaining ICD-10 products and services around the world. In the United States, under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 3M developed the ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (PCS) and the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), and produced the initial conversion of MS-DRGs to ICD-10.

“ICD-10 brings a dramatic increase in the number of codes, from about 17,000 today to more than 140,000,” said Susan Belley, RHIA, M.Ed, CPHQ, 3M senior coding consultant. “To adequately prepare for ICD-10’s increased specificity, coders, documentation specialists and even certain service lines will need more in-depth education than other staff. Using a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to training won’t ensure ICD-10 readiness. Hospitals should begin now to initiate specialized education that builds competency well in advance of ICD-10 implementation.”

Ms. Belley recently joined 3M after serving as coding and documentation improvement manager for the Cleveland Clinic. She leads a 3M team of clinical and coding education specialists developing the 3M ICD-10 Education Program, including focused training by job function in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and documentation requirements. “As a former client, I trust 3M coding,” Belley noted. “I committed to lead development of the training curriculum because I knew coursework would be built on a solid foundation of ICD-10 expertise, using essential coding principles and guidelines.” 3M coding solutions are used by more than 5,000 hospitals worldwide to code and group patient data for decision support, quality measurement, and reimbursement.

The 3M ICD-10 Education Program is designed primarily for documentation improvement specialists and inpatient, outpatient and professional fee coders, but the web-based subscription service allows for broad access throughout the healthcare organization. 3M clients using the 3M Coding and Reimbursement System or the 3M Clinical Documentation Improvement System can take advantage of introductory pricing, available through the end of 2011.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set October 1, 2013 as the implementation date for ICD-10, the new national coding standard that will replace ICD-9-CM. Codes based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), are used throughout health care to record, store and retrieve diagnosis and procedure information for clinical, epidemiological and quality purposes, and for reimbursement.

More information about the 3M ICD-10 Education Program, is available at www.3Mhis.com/ICD10Education or by calling 800-367-2447.

About 3M Health Information Systems
3M Health Information Systems delivers comprehensive software and consulting services to help organizations worldwide improve clinical documentation, quality, and financial performance across the healthcare continuum. 3M offers integrated solutions for medical records coding, ICD-10, dictation and transcription, speech recognition, clinical documentation improvement, quality, and data standardization and vocabularies, effectively meeting the industry’s changing needs. With more than 25 years of healthcare experience and expertise, 3M works as a trusted and stable business partner to provide reliable implementation, training, and support services. www.3Mhis.com

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For media inquiries:Mollie HounsPrice Houns Associates952-920-6951orMary Kokkinen3M Public Relations andCorporate Communications651-733-8806