Implementing a Systematic Approach to Improve Governance and Deployment of Imaging (IMG) Codes in Radiology

Publication date: Available online 6 June 2017
Source:Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology
Author(s): Carolina V. Guimaraes, Laura A. Smith, Jo A. Garza, Maria E. Blado, Crystal S. Lokey, Lane F. Donnelly
Unlike medical procedure (CPT) and diagnosis (ICD) codes, imaging (IMG) codes are defined at the local, institutional level. IMG codes are used within an organization to define imaging procedures and how they are routed between information systems. Our purpose is to describe the implementation of a re-organization (referred to as the IMG-code clean up) and governance structure deployed at a large children′s hospital and the initial effects of that implementation. The number of IMG codes pre-clean-up was 1,388 and post-clean-up was 826. This is a reduction by 40%. The mean number of addendums to radiology reports for billing reasons per month was 31.7 prior to and 18.6 after the IMG code clean-up. This represents a 41% decrease. We believe that the re-organization, standardization of the approach to naming and coding, reduction in number of IMG codes, as well as governance structure put in place to maintain that organization has had both direct and indirect effects on the department′s ability to both provide reliable imaging services as well as positioned the department to improve.



http://ift.tt/2r2qNC2