Key attributes for coders moving forward amidst 2017 updates

Why This Topic Matters

The 2017 update cycle introduced wide-reaching changes that could affect coding accuracy, documentation review, and claims processing. Understanding the scope helps organizations prepare their staff, software, and internal workflows for updated code selection and reporting expectations.

Article Sections

1. Overview of 2017 coding changes

   Introduces the overall update cycle and the main areas affected across diagnosis coding, procedure coding, and reporting guidance. Sets the stage for the broader discussion of documentation and system impacts.

2. Official Guidelines updates

   Summarizes selected changes to the ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines and the organizations involved in approving them. Focuses on the broad guidance areas addressed in the update.

3. Documentation, validation, and clinical criteria

   Discusses documentation expectations, the role of provider statements, and the broader tension between coding guidance and external review processes. Also addresses clinical documentation improvement considerations.

4. Laterality coding

   Covers updates related to bilateral conditions and the coding of surgical correction across both sides. Explains that the topic involves laterality-related assignment considerations.

5. Documentation for BMI, non-pressure ulcers, and pressure ulcer stages

   Reviews guidance on code assignment using documentation from clinicians other than the treating provider for certain measurement and staging concepts. Includes related discussion of neurologic assessment documentation.

6. Zika virus infection

   Addresses the guideline update related to confirmation status and provider documentation for this infection category. Presents it as a specific example of revised diagnostic reporting guidance.

7. Hypertensive crisis

   Describes the addition of guidance for reporting hypertensive crisis-related diagnoses within a specific diagnostic category. Frames it as an update that may affect physician documentation practices.

8. Coma scale

   Explains expanded use of coma scale reporting beyond trauma-related contexts. Provides general context for how the scale may be applied in non-trauma care settings.

9. Observation

   Introduces a new observation-related Z code category for newborn evaluation when a suspected condition is ruled out. Places the change within the broader update set.

10. Newly added ICD-10 codes

    Reviews the scale of the code expansion and the timing of implementation. Describes the article’s broad coverage of diagnostic and procedural code growth without listing specific code content in the narrative.

11. ICD-10-CM changes

    Summarizes the major diagnostic code-set expansion areas mentioned in the article. Focuses on the breadth of conditions affected by the update.

12. ICD-10-PCS updates

    Summarizes the procedural code-set expansion and the broad areas of PCS change highlighted by the article. Notes that many updates are concentrated in one major body system area.

13. New cardiovascular PCS codes

    Lists the general categories of cardiovascular procedure changes described by the article. Provides a high-level view of the procedural topics affected.

14. Other PCS changes

    Covers additional procedural update areas outside the cardiovascular set. Includes other transplant and organ-related topics mentioned by the article.

15. Implementation and preparation

    Discusses the operational impact of the updates, including internal application readiness, vendor support, and review of coding accuracy. Emphasizes preparation for widespread changes across systems and workflows.