Providers' Third-Party Needs Shift as ICD-10 Deadline Likely Delayed

OREM, UT, April 03, 2014 (Press-News.org) A likely one-year delay of the ICD-10 deadline may lead some healthcare providers to postpone training and testing of related projects. For others, the focus will remain on identifying which third-party vendors can best help them prepare for their eventual adoption of the new coding guidelines. This is the focus of the latest KLAS report, ICD-10 Consulting Services: Who Can Help in the Eleventh Hour?

The report states that 54% of interviewed providers named training and education as the most important areas in which outside help is needed. Many providers are using or planning to use a combination of eLearning tools and on-site training to help their staff prepare for the switchover. However, training and education timelines will likely change to reflect the new deadline. Precyse is the firm most frequently used for eLearning, and 3M and Precyse have the most providers using them for on-site physician training. System and end-to-end testing are other areas in which providers are looking for outside assistance, yet the field of firms who provide this help is narrow, and no firms appear to have deep experience in this area.

"While demand was high for ICD-10 training and system and end-to-end testing, not many providers that we spoke with were utilizing their firms in these areas," said Mike Smith, report author. "Part of this may be due to timing. Prior to the ICD-10 delay, I anticipated that we would see many more of these types of engagements in the coming months. However, many of these projects will now be pushed to 2015."

Showcasing the depth and breadth of the ICD-10 services offered by each vendor, the report examines the strengths and weaknesses of the different players that providers are relying on to help them prepare for the move to ICD-10. The firms included in this study are Accenture, Advisory Board, Aspen Advisors, Cerner, Dell Services, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Hayes, Leidos Health, Optum, Precyse, PwC, Santa Rosa Consulting and Siemens. For further details, visit KLAS online at www.KLASresearch.com/reports and view ICD-10 Consulting Services: Who Can Help in the Eleventh Hour?. The report is available to healthcare providers and vendors. Providers receive a significant discount off the standard retail price or can receive a complimentary summary report in exchange for a survey about one of their current vendors.

About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services, medical equipment and infrastructure systems to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.