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Survey: Staffing Impacts Medical Coding Change

August 09, 2011

Staffing is the biggest hurdle to implementation of ICD-10, a code set that healthcare providers use in medical diagnosis and patient care that must be put in place by October 2013, according to results of a survey released today by TEKsystems, a Hanover, Md.-based information technology staffing and services company.

According to the survey, 55 percent of respondents say one of the biggest challenges they face is finding and hiring the right people with the skills needed to ensure a successful ICD-10 transition.

“It is vital for healthcare organizations to proactively strategize on how they will acquire the IT professionals they need now and in the future,” said Allen Kriete, TEKsystems’ executive director, healthcare. “Many organizations focus on the overall operations and information security plan; however their workforce plan is often not as detailed as it should be and it becomes a second thought.”

Approximately 80 percent of respondents indicate co-sourced and staff augmentation models are the preferred methods of working with partners across all stages of ICD-10 transition. Further, smaller and midsize companies rely on staffing and services partners to assist in the sourcing, screening and placing of IT professionals that are a cultural fit and have the specific skills needed.