ICD-10: cracking the code.

Healthcare organizations should address physician clinical documentation improvement now, before the Oct. 1, 2014, implementation deadline for ICD-10, if they are to mitigate risk related to ICD-10 and optimize operational processes. Improving documentation now will have an immediate effect on revenue and will minimize the potential for losses related to denied claims after ICD-10 goes into effect. Training of physicians should not be just a "once-and-done" process. Organizations should plan now for training to continue even after the implementation deadline.