Here five spine surgeons discuss the impending switch-over to ICD-10 and whether they are prepared.
Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.
Next week's question: Now that healthcare reform is well under way, what do you think will be the next big battlefront in healthcare?
Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, September 2, at 5 p.m. CST.
Question: Is your practice ICD-10 ready? Do you feel like it would be better if you had more time?
Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: I think we will be. I am in the process of transferring my coding over. I will more than likely "flip the switch" at the end of the month.
Richard Kube, MD, Founder, CEO, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.: I think we are ready for the most part. I think we have little more that we can do until it actually goes live. I'm sure we will discover plenty of things that we could have done better, but I feel most of those things will require hindsight to truly identify.
Stephen R. Tolhurst, MD, Texas Back Institute, Plano: ICD-10 presents an extraordinary amount of additional complexity to an already challenging coding system. This presents a substantially increased burden on physicians and medical professionals without a clear benefit to our patients. I feel that my practice and those of most other practitioners will have difficulties with the new system.
While the difficulties this presents to physicians are important, my greatest concern is that this will ultimately have a negative impact on the health and satisfaction of our patients. A slower phase-in of this very complex new coding system would be better for both patients and practitioners.
Kenneth Pettine, MD, Founder, The Spine Institute (Johnstown, Colo.): No, our practice is not ICD-10 ready and I would greatly appreciate a postponement of this beginning for another year.
Kern Singh, MD, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, Chicago: No., but I don't believe anyone is ready. The arduous task and very limited proven benefit of ICD-10 has made most physicians reluctant to incorporate this into their practice.