A comparison between a SNOMED CT problem list and the ICD-10-CM/PCS HIPAA code sets.

In 2013 the United States will convert from the use of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to the use of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS). This study compares the approximately 5,000 terms in the July 2009 Clinical Observations Recording and Encoding (CORE) Problem List subset of the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) terminology produced by the National Library of Medicine with terms found in the January 2009 versions of ICD-10-CM/PCS. The comparison was done by a single individual and used the internally defined concepts of "Exact," "Inexact," "Model" (one SNOMED CT term to many ICD-10-CM/PCS terms), "Not Elsewhere Classified," "Not Otherwise Specified," "Synonym," and "Not Found" to classify the CORE Problem List terms according to the quality of the match.

International classification of diseases, 10th edition, clinical modification and procedure coding system: descriptive overview of the next generation HIPAA code sets.

Described are the changes to ICD-10-CM and PCS and potential challenges regarding their use in the US for financial and administrative transaction coding under HIPAA in 2013. Using author constructed derivative databases for ICD-10-CM and PCS it was found that ICD-10-CM's overall term content is seven times larger than ICD-9-CM: only 3.2 times larger in those chapters describing disease or symptoms, but 14.

OIDs: how can I express you? Let me count the ways.

An object identifier (OID) has a central utility in providing a traceable source for the meaning of an identifier appearing in a cross-system communication. The views in this paper illustrate the problems with using the present OID registration system as a reliable source for the identifier, the confusion that the use of an OID introduces in messages, and the redundancy that the OID introduces at the expense of increased message size and no new content. In promoting clearly defined cross-system communication identifiers, Health Level 7 developed a standard that required use of OIDs outside of network addressing.

Practice patterns of testing waived under the clinical laboratory improvement amendments.

Objectives: To determine operational practices in laboratories operating under a Certificate of Wavier (waived laboratories), or equivalent, under the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) of 1988 when performing tests designated as having an insignificant risk of an erroneous result (ie, waived tests).

Methods: Waived laboratories that were part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory Sentinel Monitoring Network project in the states of Arkansas, New York, and Washington were surveyed about their quality control (QC) and quality assurances (QA) practices when performing waived testing. Arkansas and Washington sent out similar questionnaires, whereas on-site surveys were conducted in New York.

Laboratory critical values policies and procedures: a college of American Pathologists Q-Probes Study in 623 institutions.

Context: Critical values lists have been used for many years to decide when to notify physicians and other caregivers of potentially life-threatening situations; however, these lists have not been studied widely.

Objectives: To investigate critical values lists in institutions participating in the College of American Pathologists Q-Probes program and to provide suggestions for improvement.

Setting: A total of 623 institutions voluntarily participating in the Q-Probes program.

Routine outpatient laboratory test turnaround times and practice patterns: a College of American Pathologists Q-Probes study.

Objectives: To determine baseline parameters for routine outpatient test turnaround time (TAT), to identify influential factors, and to study the impact of managed care on this testing.

Method: Using forms supplied by the College of American Pathologists Q-Probes program, laboratories conducted a self-directed study of routine outpatient TATs over a 4-week period. Data requested included various times of day associated with the collection, laboratory receipt, and result verification of specimens, as well as details on the drawing location and ordering and delivery methods for up to 3 tests, namely, a complete blood cell count (CBC), biochemical profile, or thyrotropin test.