The changes are unrelated to the Obama administration’s new health care law. But given the lurching start of the federal health insurance website, HealthCare.gov, some doctors and health care information technology specialists fear major disruptions to health care delivery if the new coding system — also heavily computer-reliant — isn’t put in place properly.
They are pushing for a delay of the scheduled start date of Oct. 1 — or at least more testing beforehand. “If you don’t code properly, you don’t get paid,” said Dr. W. Jeff Terry, a urologist in Mobile, Ala., who is one of those who thinks staffs and computer systems, particularly in small medical practices, will not be ready in time. “It’s going to put a lot of doctors out of business.”
Doctors already spend more time with the computerized EMR than with face to face patient encounters as it is. Switching to an entirely new coding system on top of an already cumbersome EMR is not going to enhance the doctor-patient relationship. What's suitable for large scale health systems and Accountable Care Organizations is not necessarily a good fit for a 3 doctor group in Jamaica, Queens. Top down mandates seem the antithesis of patient centered care. Don't expect great Press-Ganey's, folks.
Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
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