Integrate changes in the 2018 ICD-10-CM guidelines

Why This Topic Matters

The 2018 guideline revisions influence how certain diagnoses are documented and reported, and they can affect compliance when records are reviewed by auditors or other oversight groups. Understanding the scope of the updates helps coding and CDI teams align documentation practices with the current ICD-10-CM guidance.

Article Sections

1. Overview of FY 2018 guideline changes

   Introduces the annual ICD-10-CM guideline update and the role of the official guidelines in diagnosis reporting. It also references the organizations involved in guideline development and oversight.

2. Automatic linkage of coexisting conditions

   Covers changes to how linked terms are treated in the ICD-10-CM Index and Tabular List, including general conventions for coexisting diagnoses. It also discusses situations where linkage is limited by official guidance.

3. Implantation of radioactive elements

   Reviews updated guidance for encounters involving radiation-related services and implanted radioactive elements. It addresses how the broader category of care is handled in the context of these encounters.

4. Diabetes mellitus and the use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic

   Summarizes changes related to diabetes reporting and the long-term use of related medications. It notes the distinction between routine long-term therapy and temporary treatment during an encounter.

5. Mild substance use disorders in remission

   Describes the new framework for reporting substance use disorders in remission. It distinguishes between levels of severity and phases of remission at a high level.

6. Blindness

   Explains updated reporting considerations for visual loss documentation when laterality or category detail is incomplete. It covers general approaches to unspecified visual impairment reporting.

7. Type 1 versus other types of myocardial infarction

   Discusses revised guidance for classifying different myocardial infarction types and related timing considerations. It also addresses how subsequent events are categorized under the updated framework.

8. Non-pressure ulcers

   Reviews guidance for ulcer documentation when healing, healed, or evolving severity is described. It focuses on how encounter status and progression affect reporting.

9. Retained products of conception following an abortion

   Covers updated instructions for later encounters related to retained products of conception after pregnancy loss or termination. It also notes the role of associated complications in overall reporting.