The following is an excerpt from an article by Craig Greenberg, Practice Director for Strategic Services at Consultancy Beacon Partners. This article originally appeared on Health Data Management. "The fall is fast approaching and with that brings the reminder that the new ICD-10 compliance deadline of October 1, 2015 is a little over a year away. Before the delay, healthcare organizations were working diligently on their transition plans and many were making progress on addressing key implementation challenges.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Stephanie Ocano of Healthcare Global. This article was originally written by Adam Groff and appeared on healthcareglobal.com. The paperless revolution is taking the world by storm, so it's no surprise hospitals across the United States are jumping on the paper-free bandwagon. From digitized patient files to paperwork and documents sent by email, the medical community is embracing a paperless lifestyle.

Whether you like it or not, your medical organization is going to have to make the switch from the International Classification of Diseases version 9 to ICD-10. Some healthcare providers may have grown complacent because they have seen the U.S. government declaring that the deadline for the switch would be a few years ago, only to see an extension until 2014. The latest deadline is October 1, 2015, and we should work under the assumption that this will be the last extension from the government. As a prudent leader in your healthcare group, you’re not likely going to want to delay any further in getting your team ready for the impending transition. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you move beyond ICD-9.

As you already must be aware, a big change is coming to the healthcare industry, now that the U.S. government is requiring us to switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Version 10 of the International Classification of Diseases has already been adopted by many countries around the world, but our government has granted a few extensions so that providers can spend more time preparing for the switch.

Busy owners and managers of medical practices may not always be able to budget much time to keep up with the latest healthcare industry news and regulatory updates. You have likely been briefed, however, on the U.S. government’s mandate that providers must switch from version 9 of the International Classification of Diseases code to ICD-10. Developed and maintained by the World Health Organization, the ICD codes provide international standards for describing ailments and diagnoses, enabling the industry and government entities to communicate more easily. Since the transition to ICD-10 has been delayed until October 1, 2015 in the U.S., now is a good time to consider that what you don’t know about ICD-10 may hurt you.

Obviously, no one is born a computer expert or can be considered proficient at using software without becoming familiar with all the settings, features, navigation elements, menu options, and so on. Your staff had to become familiar with EHR software and how to use the International Classification of Disease code version 9 in order to let your practice operate in accordance with industry standards and government regulations.

No matter how many great educational institutions we have turning out top-notch medical professionals, and no matter how many great managers are available to run medical organizations in the most efficient and cost-beneficial manner, the level of quality will vary from practice to practice. Be honest. How would you rate your own practice? For that matter, can you remember the last time you did a complete evaluation of how you run the organization? Is it possible that some things are starting to slip through the cracks, or that you have lost some talented employees and haven’t found replacement workers who can fill their shoes? By emulating the actions of great medical practices, you can move forward with better confidence.

Responsible owners and managers of medical practices typically have a policy of reviewing their systems and processes on a periodic basis to make sure they are getting the best possible return on their investment. Many such leaders come to determine that they will be better off if they implement Revenue Cycle Management software. The goal is to boost revenue and improve operations on the financial side of the practice. Here are three ways Revenue Cycle Management systems will make you a better practice.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Cliff Bleustein, MD, MBA, of Dell Services. This article originally appeared on www.ehrintelligence.com. Over the past two years, hospitals have invested in modifying applications and workflows to fit the demands of ICD-10. And many have ramped up training on the detailed documentation that the new coding system requires. But a February survey by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) indicated that only 10 percent of physician practices were prepared for the change, and a lack of familiarity with the new documentation demands was part of the issue. Documentation remains an Achilles heel for many hospital ICD-10 conversion plans.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Andy Arends of Dell Services. This article originally appeared on Healthcare IT News. A February 2014 survey by the Medical Group Management Association indicated that only 10 percent of physician practices were prepared for the ICD-10 conversion, and this lack of provider readiness was a major reason congress pushed back the 2014 deadline. Lacking the expertise in-house and lacking the time and money to seek outside help, many physicians have procrastinated on preparations. To prevent further delays and to ensure a smooth transition to ICD-10, health plans need to actively engage physicians in their testing process. Even if there are no further delays to ICD-10 implementation – and, indeed, a new compliance deadline of Oct. 1, 2015, has been set - a lack of provider readiness will cause major headaches for health plans.