Hi, it's Cindy> Today I want to introduce you to the 2017 Coding Guidelines and talk a
bit about this PDF that you will be using as you code your homework and your
exams. First thing I want to do is show you why we're using this PDF, so let me
go to the document camera. Even though we are using the 2017 code book,
you see that up at the top it says "2016" and a shadow box that says the "2017
guidelines were not available at the time the book went to print". So it tells
a student how to get those Official Guidelines.What I have done is go
into the CMS website. pull up these Guidelines and annotate them for you.
You can download them in Week two. You will be referring to them throughout
the semester. A couple of things I want to show you about this PDF as you scroll
through it. Each week we will cover certain chapters and i'll tell you what pages
we're on, that kind of thing but the main thing i want to show you is the
differences between the 2017 Guidelines, which are here in this PDF, and what is
in your code book. The 2016 Guidelines are in your code book. Let me go back up here. What
the PDF does is tells you in regular font or the "not bolded" font here- this is
what's already in the Guidelines. Then in 2017, they expanded the Guideline and put
a bold font to tell the reader this is new. So if you were reading in your code
book, your code book right now, you would read this but be aware in the 2017
Guidelines, you also would be looking at this. I will bring all this to your
attention as we go through the individual chapters.
What I want you to be familiar with before we get to Chapter one though are
the conventions. If we scroll back up here, you'll see there's a lot of
information in here under Section I.A., the conventions. Before we ever get to
Section I.C, which are "Chapter specific guidelines". Your page numbers are here at
the bottom, so when I refer to a page number, you'll know where I am. I'll
be giving you examples of why you would use different guidelines (in) different ways.
In case you wonder why we need guidelines, think about all the
hospitals and all the coders. Unless you're all coding the exact same way, you
really can't compare your data and the main reason why we collect codes in this
country is for data, to have data to collect for research and we also use
this data in our reimbursement systems. So it's important that we all be
collecting data the same way. I just happened to stop here on number "15". The
word "with" and this is a big change. You see in bold font here it says "the
classification presumes a causal relationship between two conditions
linked by the terms "with, associated with or due to". You can assume now a causal
relationship. This is new. In the past, we couldn't always assume that
relationship, That will make a lot more sense as we get deeper into the course.
So this is the main thing. I want to be sure you see this (PDFs)when you go into Week
two. It'll say "Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting Fiscal Year
2017. There's the dates. Now I want to go to the
document camera and show you how this corresponds to the code book. Here at the
bottom of the page, you see Section I.A, the Conventions and this is how that
would be written. The dash meaning additional letters or numbers could be
added to that. Section I.B, your General Coding, all these things
apply, no matter what Chapter we're coding in. At the very bottom we go
to the Chapter-specific Coding Guidelines and these are individual to
the Chapter. Even though here in the code book you see Chapter 1 starts and
all the different guidelines. In your PDF, you would also see see Chapter specific
Coding Guidelines. Then your Chapters will start. Now, I also want you to be
aware, in the back of the book, in front of the individual Chapters, there are
also Guidelines. The problem is these Guidelines in your code book are "2016"
but remember that they are very similar so it's a good idea to look at your code
book for examples of those Guidelines that are the same. How will you know
they're the same? If they are in your PDF and are not in a bold font, they are the
same as the Guidelines here in the 2016. I like the Coding Guidelines in front of
the Chapters because of the examples that are given but I can't refer you
just to this. I think it's more confusing. I must refer you to the PDF which is
accurate, the 2017 Coding Guidelines. That's all I'm going to say for today.
As I said, I will be looking at these individually by Chapter moving forward
but you need to print out the 2017 Coding Guidelines, either laminated or
keep it in a notebook to itself so you can always have it handy. You will be
using it in all parts of this course. Get back to that document so you can
remember, this is the one I want you to remember, the PDF. It is available in Week 2. I also
sent it to you in an email earlier this semester before the semester started, in
case you wanted to print it and have it ready but if you registered late you would
never see that email. I'll be making more of these types of podcast, expanding
on them in individual Chapters as we move through the semester.Thank you so
much. Have a good evening.
you