H.I.M. ON CALL Launches ICD-10 Coder Testing and Assessment Tool

Central Learning® Scores Coder Performance and Automatically Identifies ICD-10 Coding Skill Gaps Using Real Medical Records

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H.I.M. ON CALL

Jun 22, 2015, 02:00 ET

ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- H.I.M. ON CALL, Inc., a technology and outsourced services company for health information management (HIM), coding, data quality , and revenue cycle, proudly announces the availability of Central Learning^®, a web-based coder testing and assessment software tool for ICD-10. Central Learning is part of the company's AVIANCE Health™ suite of software for hospitals and healthcare providers. The announcement was made by Manny Pena, RHIA, President & CEO, H.I.M. ON CALL.

Central Learning is a unique ICD-10 coding and assessment tool that allows facilities the ability to upload their own medical records and answer keys or utilize Central Learning's hundreds of actual pre-loaded medical records across all patient record types with their respective validated ICD-10 answer keys. Once the medical record is coded Central Learning automatically scores & assesses ICD-10 coder proficiency and accuracy in a simulated production environment to identify incorrect codes, determine areas for improvement, and pinpoint areas in need of remedial training based on a coder's unique needs.

"Central Learning automatically grades and scores coder skills using real cases and actual clinical documentation—versus hypothetical coding scenarios and traditional check-the-box tests," mentions Pena. "Everyone is performing ICD-10 education, but how do you know if that education is effective in a true medical coding production environment without consistently using real medical record cases?" asks Pena.

"By automating the scoring and assessment process, coding managers and ICD-10 trainers are exponentially more efficient in preparing their teams for ICD-10," adds Paul Strafer, RHIA, CCS, Coding and Education Manager at H.I.M. ON CALL. With Central Learning, HIM and revenue cycle leaders identify coding skill/knowledge gaps, determine coders' strengths and weaknesses, trend coder productivity and quality, and gain valuable revenue impact intelligence for the implementation of ICD-10.

Scoring ICD-10 proficiency in a true production environment has made a huge impact. For example, one hospital site states, "Traditionally 4-5 days were required for our ICD-10 coding manager to review coder's codes, score and analyze data results. With Central Learning, this is done instantaneously – an 80% productivity improvement."

The need for new coder assessment tools that incorporate real medical records, such as Central Learning, is underscored by the ICD-10 National Pilot Program conducted by HIMSS and WEDI which found that coders achieved an accuracy rate of only 63%. Central Learning assists coding managers by assessing coder competence and performance against national benchmarks. For example, H.I.M. ON CALL has close to 100 coders coding daily in Central Learning. These coders achieve coding accuracy rates of 90+% in ICD-10 across 1,000 actual clinical records, representing all patient types. "These results could not have been possible without the Central Learning application," mentions Pena.

About H.I.M. ON CALL:
H.I.M. ON CALL is a technology and outsourced services company for health information management (HIM), coding, data quality, and revenue cycle. They offer data-rich technology tools and outsourcing services to make better coding decisions and prepare for change. Service offerings include coding, coding audits, coding analytics, consulting and ICD-10 education. Their AVIANCE Health™ suite of web-based software applications includes DNFB management, Coding Analytics, Audit Management, and Central Learning^®. Learn more at www.himoncall.com.