Wiki Pursuing CHONC. Not sure where to start!

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CoderinJax

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Hi!
I'm considering working towards obtaining the CHONC specialty certification because it would be something brand new and different. I have ZERO knowledge in the hemat/onc coding world, with the exception of everyday "general" knowledge. (Which isn't much, ha!)

I've tried "Googling" coding clinics or anything else for beginners, but the searches come back with very little help.

Anyone have any easy to understand coding books, besides the AAPC's CHONC guide? (I already have that, but need to start further back in regards to this specialty.)

Thanks so much!
Becki, CPC, CPMA
 
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you are really going to need hands-on experience to learn infusion billing. There is just no getting around that. You would need to learn about the drugs, the billing hierarchy, reactions, your neoplasm table usage. Nurses are an invalualable resource.
Are you working in a clinic? Rheumatology also does infusions, not quite so many drugs for starters.
Tricia D.
 
Hi Tricia, thanks for the information. I actually work on the carrier side, so hands-on isn't an option. I'd love to try to find a local group that would allow me in their practice to learn, but I'm thinking my chances are pretty small for that. :( I'm not receiving pressure or anything from my employer to obtain this, more just that I want to learn about something I don't have any experience with. I haven't really attended a lot of the local AAPC meetings, and that may be a decent place to network with some Nurses, coders, etc. My Mom is an RN (Retired) so maybe I can start asking her some questions, too. Thanks so much for the input, I appreciate it!
Becki
 
CHONC cert advice

Becki...I took the CHONC exam 12/6/14 and passed. I've been working in hematology-oncology for 9 yrs. Prior to this I worked in 6 different specialties. I started using ICD-9 at it's inception in 1979. No position I held during my career prior to working in hem-onc could have prepared me for the CHONC exam. I can unequivocally tell anyone seeking to take the CHONC exam that hands-on experience in coding chemo drugs and more importantly chemo infusion/administration codes is a prerequisite. The exam is probably half chemo drug and infusion/admin coding questions. After all these years, I still needed my admin codes at hand. The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from broadening their career horizons; however, you need to know what you're up against. Best of luck to you!

Patty Woodruff, CHONC
stitcher927@aol.com
Lincoln, NE
 
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Patty, this is great advice and I appreciate the response back.
I'm trying to figure the best avenues to gain knowledge and talked to my mom over the weekend and she didn't really have much she could offer. (She retired from Nursing several years ago.) I've reached out to a Nurse here who was a Clinical Reseach Analyst on the Hem/Onc side and she's bringing me her books to at least glance thru. I'm trying to think of how to do all of this before ICD-10 takes affect because that'll add something additional for me. :(
Thanks again for your post, and I appreciate the honesty. :)
 
I-10 will only add specificity into the mix. It changes nothing if you know how to use I-9.

Speaking from the fact that I was taught in I-10 Draft in college and had to use I-9 for my certification test. It wasn't much of a shock or change for me to make.
 
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