The most grueling problem associated with medical coding is its time and effort-intensive nature. These two factors are also responsible for a large chunk of medical coding being outsourced. But outsourcing is expensive.
So here comes Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI has exciting applications across the healthcare industry and one of the most interesting ones is in medical coding. In a nutshell, AI in medical coding can process large volumes of medical reports. This leads to faster coding and reduced turnaround time. Additionally, the use of AI technology helps streamline the medical coding process.
How AI Improves Turnaround Time for Medical Coding?
AI solutions for medical coding are based on machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP). ML algorithms can learn from historical data and provide faster and more accurate coding results. NLP wallows for the analysis of unstructured data, such as medical reports, and the extraction of relevant information for coding.
AI w.r.t. medical coding has several benefits that together contribute to improving TAT.
Reduced Risk of Human Error: W51.XXXA – this is the code for Accidental striking against or bumped into by another person, initial encounter. Such codes are difficult to interpret and result in wrong coding. Medical coding automation tools read and interpret such codes, reducing the time spent by a coder in working with a physician to assign accurate codes.
Improved Compliance and Data Quality: Medical coding tools like MediCodio become your AI coding assistant and ensure compliance with regulations like HIPPA. They also help with identifying missing or incomplete data, leading to more accurate coding and billing.
Streamlined Medical Coding Process:
AI enables coders to process more charts with accuracy. This saves time in correcting earlier errors, thus streamlining the process. Additionally, AI automates repetitive tasks, allowing medical coders to focus on complex tasks.
Low cost, great results: Coding departments incur high costs when there are coding errors. Coding errors lead to claim denials. AI reduces coding errors at the smallest cost, ensuring higher reimbursement. This not only contributes to low costs but also low revenue loss.
Bottom-line:
AI technology offers a significant impact on the turnaround time for medical coding. AI’s ability to process more charts within a given time and reduce human errors are the key reasons for the high turnaround time of automated coding tools like MediCodio.
About MediCodio:
MediCodio is an AI-powered coding tool that reduces medical coding costs and improves efficiency by up to 45%.A great fit for RCM companies and hospital billing departments, CODIO suggests medical codes (CPT, ICD10, HCPCS, modifiers) by reading patient demographic info from EHR systems and Physician Notes/Chart. After the medical coder makes a selection from the list of suggested codes, CODIO sends your codes to the billing system.
FAQs
1. How does AI impact the turnaround time for medical coding? AI significantly reduces turnaround time by automating code assignment, speeding up the process while maintaining accuracy.
2. What tasks in medical coding can AI automate? AI automates repetitive tasks like code suggestions, validation, and error detection, freeing coders to handle complex cases.
3. Can AI improve the efficiency of coders? Yes, AI streamlines workflows, enhances productivity, and enables coders to complete more tasks in less time without compromising quality.
4. Does AI help in reducing delays caused by coding errors? Absolutely! AI detects potential errors early, ensuring timely corrections and faster claim submissions.
5. What are the overall benefits of AI for medical coding turnaround time? AI accelerates processes, improves accuracy, reduces workload, and ensures quicker reimbursements, benefiting the entire revenue cycle.