# Icd 10 boot camps



## alambmichigan (Jun 14, 2011)

Can anyone tell me if it is/was beneficial for them to attend the boot camps that are being offered through AAPC?  One of our Doctors is looking at going with me and taking another clinical staff as well.

Thanks in advance for any information.


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## eeh (Jun 14, 2011)

I attended Day 1 of the 2-day bootcamp.  It entailed going over the ICD-10 guidelines and working on examples for each section.  Very long day !

Don't know about Day 2.

Ellen


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## Leslie Jones (Jun 20, 2011)

I attended and it was enlighting.  It should be very helpful for a doctor to see the world of coding !


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## Infinity4587 (Aug 8, 2011)

Just got back from the bootcamp in Jackson, MS. Attended both days. I thought it was extremely helpful/informative! I would definitely recommend it.


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## alambmichigan (Aug 9, 2011)

Thank you for the feedback on the boot camp.  Myself and 1 doctor are going to go in September...it should be informative for him, because he has never been to a coding seminar/workshop before


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## Pam Brooks (Aug 9, 2011)

Although I attended both days of the ICD-10 bootcamp, it's really only helpful to attend right now, if you are going to be involved in your practice's conversion.
Then you can determine your go-forward plan for physician/staff training, IS needs, payer issues, etc.

As far as training for staff coders--wait.  The draft is still a draft, and learning it now without putting it into immediate practice would be a waste of your time.  You can certainly purchase the draft....the instructions are in the front as is ICD-9, and it's not all that confusing. But formal training isn't required until late 2012 unless you're going to be part of the team who organizes the conversion.  

I've been doing documentation analysis for ICD-9 to ICD-10, and in just doing that have learned a great deal about how the codes work.  I am not going to train my staff coders until late 2012 or early 2013.  We aren't training physicians until right before the switch....they'll just forget.  We are encouraging them to be more specific in their documentation (which is why I'm doing the audits) to support the more detailed ICD-10 codes.

2011 is a year of analysis and planning.  The training is for later, in my opinion.


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## alambmichigan (Sep 12, 2011)

Thank you Pam for the information.  I am attending a two day boot camp in Grand Rapids, MI this week, my doctor who is a part of the conversion team is unable to go, but it sounds as though we will receive good tools to use and get organized for 2012.

Amy


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## Loleina00 (Oct 17, 2011)

So *how soon is too soon *to go to a boot camp for instance?  I am thinking to attend the 2-day in SF in December this year.  I will get tuition reimbursement for it, so money is not an issue.  I am right now brushing up on A&P and pathophysiology.  With so many seminars and workshops, which is the best one?


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## martnel (Oct 20, 2011)

I have worked with ICD-10 for 3 yrs in South Africa, that's where I learned my coding from1996-1999, when we immigrated to the USA.  So, for me it was dejavu - I couldn't wait to do a bootcamp, which I did a year ago.  While I was able to satisfy my curiosity, I thought it was very boring to do the general bootcamp.  I would have loved to do a specialty bootcamp. Although the bootcamp was very good and well organised, I had no interest in codes that I was not going to use.  My recommendation is to do the bootcamp so you can see what it is about, especially if you are a manager/supervisor, you need to do that a.s.a.p.   Knowledge is power!  If you are just a regular coder, serious training can wait for much later.   Managers/supervisors need to stay on top of their game to make sure their offices/systems are going to be compliant.  Doctor's training need to intensify, because we are going to need a lot more detailed info from them!  Good luck to everyone!


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## Loleina00 (Oct 23, 2011)

I am thinking I will wait until next year for bootcamp, learn it too early and it won't digest.
You don't use it, you lose it.  Just going to brush up on A&P and pathophysiology for now and CME has good downloads to study anyway.


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## jojo419 (Oct 24, 2011)

Transitioning over to ICD-10 appears simple in one sense, but in truth, there are multiple layers to build upon. It is wise to educate yourself in one of the biggest changes to hit heath care now.  We live in a very tightly bound community - linking our coding and billing skills with vendors, clearing houses, labs, insurance carriers, medical practices and facilities, EMRs, electronic scripts, etc...
This is a classic case of the peeling an onion affect-  first layer appears insiginificant, but the more you learn about the process and how ICD 10 will impact all of us, the more you realize you need to understand everything there is to know about organzing a small  or large practice early on.  You may find upon first workshop or seminar, that refresher skills in anatomy and pathophysiology are necessary for some of your staff. You need to know that even if your software vendors are on top of things - is the small lab that receives your requisitions, ANSI 5010 and ICD-10 ready? How will you know what steps to follow to be sure you are all aligned to continue working together? What about budget or the need for additional staff, even if temporary?
Boot Camps offer a lot of information that needs to be shared. Some areas will affect you more than others but it is information to bring back to your employers.
Although Final Rule has not taken place with ICD-10, practice and familiarity with the mechanics of this new method should be started now.  It is not the time to built cheat sheets and memorize guidelines...but I assure you, it is so vital to the success of implementation.  Practice, practice and practice some more. Every week. Let it become second nature to you all.
Countries that started with ICD 10 had productivity levels that dropped over 100% with implementation of ICD 10.  Expect look ups of codes to take a lot longer. Attending a Boot Camp will clearly tell you how you can be ready for the big change and start training/retraining staff and working with doctors.  
I recommend at least one person from a practice attend and then present to their doctors, IT staff, billers, coder, front desk help, etc....


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## aschaeve (Nov 11, 2011)

*Certification for ICD-10*

I have heard that you can get certified in ICD-10 right now.  Does anyone know of a class to do this?

Thanks,

Alicia, CPC


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