Title: Module 5 Coding Disorders
Course: Introduction to Coding and Classification Systems > Section: Module 5: Coding Disorders of the Skin and Musculoskeletal System

Introduction

Your journey is on the road to success! The next leg in your quest is to understand and code disorders of the skin and musculoskeletal system. You will focus on two chapters in this module, Chapters 18 and 19. Again, a little reprieve, to catch your breath! One of the main areas to focus on is coding of ulcers of the skin and learning the stages of pressure ulcers. Documentation is key to coding these as "unstageable". It is best to follow the guidelines provided for accurately interpreting the medical record documentation on whether to code pressure ulcers as such.

NOTE: Nursing documentation can be supportive here, but the physician's documentation is necessary to code pressure ulcers accurately. As you go through Chapter 19 on back disorders, understand that careful attention is given to understanding the terminology regarding degeneration and displacement of an intervertebral disc, which is coded differently. They are not the same conditions.

Course Outcomes

- Recognizes the basic coding steps for coding medical diagnosis in both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM. (1)
- Comprehends the basic coding guidelines established by the American Hospital Association for both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10CM. (2)
- Converts medical documentation into both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes. (3)
- Applies the official coding guidelines to the coding of medical diagnosis for all body systems (circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal, urinary, blood-forming organs, reproductive, gastrointestinal, etc.) (5)
- Demonstrates thorough understanding of selection of the principal diagnosis and any secondary diagnosis associated with the episode of care or hospital admission. (6)
- Performs accurate diagnosis code assignment for all body systems based upon the documentation provided in the health record. (8)

Objectives

After completing Module 5 you should be able to:

- Know how to classify dermatitis due to contact, food, and ingestion of drug (both correct and incorrect usage).
- Code ulcers of the skin.
- Explain how to classify cellulitis based on location and the primary goal of the treatment.
- Code procedures done on the skin, such as excisions, debridement, and grafting.
- Explain the different types of arthritis and what to look for when coding arthritis.
- Explain the difference between pathological and traumatic fractures.
- Code joint replacements and revisions.
- Code back disorders and the variety of procedures for correcting spinal problems.

Readings and Resources

- Chapters 18 and 19 and completion of all exercises to prepare for Test 5
- Review Coding Guidelines

Discussion

The above link takes you to the discussion page.  Please follow the directions and post your response.

Skin
Find an image or draw a diagram of the layers of skin and the elements that are within the layers such as blood vessels, capillaries, fat cells, sweat glands, etc. Share your image or drawing and write a short paragraph on how  knowing this information supports you as you learn about the diagnosis codes. You may combine the image and paragraph into one document if you prefer.

Test
The above link takes you to the quiz page. There are 20 questions worth 2 points each.You have one hour to complete this open book test. You also have one opportunity to re-take the test if you want to improve your score.