Electronic Health Reporter

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), the nation’s leading nonprofit authority on the use of health IT to create efficiencies in healthcare information exchange, announced the release of an ICD-10 readiness survey to determine how well the healthcare industry is progressing towards the Oct. 1, 2015 implementation deadline. The survey results will be evaluated and compiled into a report for the industry.

Providers, health plans, vendors and clearinghouses are invited to participate in this important initiative to help monitor progress as we move closer toward the implementation deadline. The survey is available here. The final submission deadline is August 21, 2014.

“Since 2009 WEDI has been conducting these surveys, allowing us to gain a broad perspective on the readiness status for different sections of the industry, and to gauge how quickly they are progressing,” says Jim Daley, WEDI chairman and ICD-10 Workgroup co-chair. “The monumental impact the shift to ICD-10 will have on the industry makes it imperative that all organizations stay diligently focused and continue the necessary preparations in order to make the conversion in Oct. 2015 as smooth as possible. This survey is an important part of the educational and advisory roles our organization plays within the industry on ICD-10 and other health IT matters – bringing together all industry sectors to deliver a successful transition.”

As an advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), WEDI brings to the attention of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues that it believes warrant review and consideration, and continually reports the results of these periodic ICD-10 readiness surveys to CMS.

WEDI will continue to conduct surveys throughout 2014 and 2015, and information collected from these surveys will help determine where additional outreach and education is needed.

About WEDI

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is the leading authority on the use of health IT to improve healthcare information exchange in order to enhance the quality of care, improve efficiency, and reduce costs of our nation’s healthcare system. WEDI was formed in 1991 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was designated in the 1996 HIPAA legislation as an advisor to HHS. WEDI’s membership includes a broad coalition of organizations, including: hospitals, providers, health plans, vendors, government agencies, consumers, not-for-profit organizations, and standards development organizations. To learn more, visit www.wedi.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.