MC Strategies, Inc. Announces New Annotated EduCode® Coding Curriculum New curriculum will help prepare coders for ICD-10-CM

MC Strategies, Inc., a leader in Web-based learning solutions for the healthcare industry, announced recently they have created a new annotation feature for their EduCode® e-learning curriculum. With this new annotation feature, as HIM professionals learn today how to improve their coding skills for ICD-9-CM, they can also begin preparing for tomorrows new ICD-10-CM system.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) September 18, 2004 -- MC Strategies, Inc., a leader in Web-based learning solutions for the healthcare industry, announced recently they have created a new annotation feature for their EduCode® e-learning curriculum. With this new annotation feature, as HIM professionals learn today how to improve their coding skills for ICD-9-CM, they can also begin preparing for tomorrows new ICD-10-CM system.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the new ICD-10-CM system will provide significant improvements in data quality and consistency of coding. ICD-10-CM will be used for reporting diagnoses in all settings, and the new ICD-10-PCS will be used for reporting inpatient procedures. Educating coders on the new classification system will be a crucial step in the successful transition to ICD-10-CM.

"MC Strategies through our WebInservice® division and the EduCode® curriculum has been educating HIM professionals on clinical code sets, medical terminology and healthcare compliance since 1991. Our current clients will be gradually introduced to the new ICD-10 coding scheme as we move towards a fully ICD-10 enabled solution. New clients can be assured that the EduCode curriculum will meet their current and future HIM education needs. Our clients can count on us to help them reach a better understanding of ICD-10 in the months and years ahead," said Mike Kaminaka, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at MC Strategies.

Using this new annotated EduCode coding curriculum, students will learn how to improve their present coding skills and at the same time be proactively preparing for the future when ICD-10-CM is implemented," said Maribel Brogden, Director of Content Acquisition and Partner Relationships at MC Strategies. The new curriculum also contains lessons specific to ICD-10-CM. As new ICD-10-CM classifications are implemented, they will be added to the lesson sets," Ms Brogden continued.

By adopting the new coding curriculum today, coders could be completely educated and productive on the new ICD-10-CM by the time it is fully implemented in 2007. Therefore, they would have a very small or, perhaps no, learning curve at all," commented Teri Jorwic, MPH, RHIA, CCS, Senior Consultant at MC Strategies.

Within the new EduCode curriculum, as HIM professionals learn how to code a particular diagnosis under the ICD-9-CM classification system, lesson screens contain special links. When the learner selects the link, an annotation will appear that demonstrates to the learner how to code that same diagnosis under the impending ICD-10-CM coding system. These annotations within selected lesson screens on current ICD-9-CM and future ICD-10-CM/PCS code sets, along with reviews of draft official coding guidelines for use of the codes, will allow learners to begin to develop an understanding and comfort level with ICD-10.

In addition, the new classification system requires that coders have a more thorough knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology. WebInservice also has expert-authored online content that covers these areas, such as their Human Body Essentials I and II curricula.

About MC Strategies, Inc.
MC Strategies, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is the most experienced firm in developing and maintaining Web-based training content for the healthcare industry. The companys WebInservice division is a pioneer in providing Web-based learning solutions and has a client base that includes some of the countrys largest integrated delivery networks, over 1,200 hospitals and approximately 70 colleges and universities.

WebInservice® and EduCode® are registered trademarks of MC Strategies, Inc.
###