MINNEAPOLIS, MN, March 25, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VigiLanz, a digital healthcare technology company headquartered in Minneapolis, announced today that its real-time clinical surveillance and quality software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is compliant and prepared for the changes in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ICD-9 coding, used to report medical diagnosis and inpatient procedures, to the new ICD-10 codes, which go into effect October 1, 2014.
The new expanded coding has been designed to make the billing process more accurate, streamlined and efficient, and allow for greater specificity and exactness in describing a patient's diagnosis and in classifying inpatient procedures. Those covered by HIPAA must use the new ICD-10 coding, including healthcare providers and payers who do not deal with Medicare claims. New codes will not affect outpatient procedures.
The transition to ICD-10 is occurring, according to CMS, "because ICD-9 produces limited data about patients' medical conditions and hospital inpatient procedures. ICD-9 is 30 years old, has outdated terms, and is inconsistent with current medical practice. Also, the structure of ICD-9 limits the number of new codes that can be created, and many ICD-9 categories are full."
"VigiLanz is ready for the transition to ICD-10," said Stacy Pur, VigiLanz Infection Control and Quality Care Product Line Manager. "Patient financial codes, ICD-9, ICD-10, CPT, and Procedure codes can all be imported into VigiLanz. These codes can be utilized for case finding, reporting, and alerting and report population."
About VigiLanz
VigiLanz Corporation (www.vigilanzcorp.com) is a privately held, emerging growth firm and a leading provider of clinical decision support software for hospitals, founded by David Goldsteen, M.D. and David Klass, M.D. in 2001. VigiLanz supports a community of hospital quality teams, infections disease and control specialists, pharmacists, and other clinicians dedicated to patient care. VigiLanz is helping transform 21st century health care and assisting emerging Accountable Care Organizations better manage patient communities through real-time clinical information.