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Role-based Model for ICD-10 Implementation: Academic Timeline for Prospective Students

Prospective Students

Prospective students, i.e. people who are considering pursuing an HIM degree or entering a coding program, may be concerned about how the transition to ICD10 will impact their education and ultimately their employability once they have completed a program.

The overriding goal for you, a prospective student, is to select an academic program that will successfully prepare you to pass credentialing exams and enter the workforce in a coding-related role during the ICD-10 implementation time period and beyond the actual implementation date.  The keys to selecting the right program begin with understanding the implications of the transition to ICD-10 and taking the initiative to fully investigate a program and its transition plans.

To Do Phase 1:

  1. If you are considering a career in health information management, review the Academic Pathways and Planning Guide on AHIMA's career Web site
  2. Once you have determined your HIM career path, review the list of approved and/or accredited programs and/or approved coding certificate programs to determine the potential school you will attend.
  3. Contact the potential school and request their plans to transition their curriculum content for courses affected by the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS(Note: you will most likely want to speak to the director or program coordinator of the respective HIM program).
  4. Review the ICD-10 final rule to understand the implementation date for ICD-10-CM/PCS and the changes to come.
  5. Students entering a degree program or a coding certification program in the 2009-2010 school year will be introduced to ICD-10-CM/PCS either as a supplemental course, or with information about ICD-10-CM/PCS as part of the current coding course work. For the 2009/2010 school year, ICD-9-CM is the primary classification system.
  6. The ICD-10-CM/PCS classification systems rely heavily on a student's knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and medical terminology. Be sure to keep all study materials from these courses, as you will reference them when preparing to be trained for the new classification system.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 2:

  1. If you are considering a career in health information management, review the Academic Pathways and Planning Guide on AHIMA's Career Web site.
  2. Once you have determined your HIM career path, review the list of approved and/or accredited programs and/or approved coding certification programs to determine the potential school you will attend.
  3. Contact the potential school and request their plans to transition their curriculum content for courses affected by the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS (Note: you will most likely want to speak to the director or program coordinator of the respective HIM program).
  4. Expect that degree programs will teach both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS classifications systems during this transitional year with an emphasis either on ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM/PCS depending on a student's expected graduation date. Generally speaking, most two-year programs anticipate teaching both systems in year one coding courses and converting to ICD-10-CM/PCS for year two coding courses. 
  5. The ICD-10-CM/PCS classification systems rely heavily on student's knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and medical terminology. Be sure to keep all study materials from these courses, as you will reference them when preparing to be trained for the new classification systems.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 3:

  1. If you are considering a career in health information management, review the Academic Pathways and Planning Guide on AHIMA's Career Web site.
  2. Once you have determined your HIM career path, review the list of approved and/or accredited programs to determine the potential college/university you will attend.
  3. Contact the potential college/university and request their plans to transition their curriculum content for courses affected by the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS (Note: you will most likely want to speak to the director or program coordinator of the respective HIM program).
  4. Students enrolled in degree programs at the start of the 2011/2012 school year will have ICD-10-CM/PCS as the primary coding classification scheme in all coding course work.
  5. The ICD-10-CM/PCS classification systems rely heavily on a student's knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and medical terminology. Be sure to keep all study materials from these courses, as you will reference them when preparing to be trained for the new classification systems.

Corresponding Resources:

To Do Phase 4:

  1. Expect that coding certificate programs (one year or less to complete) have completed the conversion to ICD-10-CM/PCS in all coding courses by the fall term of 2012. Any coding courses you take in such a program should be focused on ICD-10-CM/PCS.
  2. Expect that all degree programs are teaching ICD-10-CM/PCS as the primary classification systems.
  3. Students enrolling in either a degree or certificate program in 2013 can expect to be proficient in ICD-10-CM/PCS and have a basic understanding of ICD-9-CM (for legacy data purposes).

Corresponding Resources: