Why is ICD-10-CM being implemented in healthcare organizations?

ICD-10-CM is implemented in healthcare organizations because it addresses the limitations of ICD-9-CM, which no longer adequately meets the evolving needs of the healthcare industry. ICD-9-CM had a limited number of codes and did not provide sufficient detail for the various diseases and conditions that healthcare providers encounter. The new ICD-10-CM system expands the code set significantly, offering a more comprehensive and specific classification of diseases, conditions, and injuries. This increased specificity helps in accurately capturing and documenting patient information, leading to improved patient care, more precise coding, and better data for healthcare research and policy-making.

The transition to ICD-10-CM represents an essential modernization of the coding system that supports the improved documentation and reporting of health information, allowing healthcare organizations to reflect the complexity of patient care more accurately.