WEDI, CMS survey to gauge ICD-10 readiness

How are ICD-10 preparations coming along?

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange and the CMS want to know.

The Reston, Va.-based not-for-profit health information exchange group, is conducting an online survey to gauge industry readiness for the scheduled Oct. 1, 2014 compliance date for the adoption of the ICD-10 diagnostic and procedural codes.

The survey, open through Feb. 20, will be used by WEDI and the CMS “to evaluate challenges and identify areas in need of additional education and assistance,” a WEDI news release said.

Health IT consultant Stanley Nachimson, who chairs the WEDI ICD-10 work group, said the most authoritative and most recent survey of ICD-10 preparedness was taken by WEDI last February. It was closely followed by HHS pushing back the ICD-10 deadline for one year.

The American Medical Association, meanwhile, has called repeatedly for a further delay in implementing ICD-10.

Nachimson said WEDI is repeating a number of questions from last year's survey, and adding a few more about the impact last year's delay had on organizations.

“My sense is that vendors are moving along and a lot of health plans are moving along and have done considerable work, Nachimson said. “But I think the question is on the providers' side.”