Medical Clinical Coding
Providing innovative solutions and operational support that enable the highest standard of patient-centred care.
What is Clinical Coding?
A clinical coding specialist will interpret information about an aspect of patient care and assign standardised codes using a classification system. These codes can be used for several purposes without risking the patient’s privacy or confidentiality.
There are significant benefits to using clinical coding systems; for instance, transforming recorded patient encounters into standard codes means they can also be used for statistical purposes. It allows for better data management and reporting and more accurate billing. Clinical coding also helps to ensure that patients receive the correct treatment and that claims are paid accurately.
Clinical Coding? Examples
- Diagnosis codes, also known as ICD 10 codes. For example, the patient has been diagnosed with appendicitis.
- Procedure codes, also known as CPT / CCSA codes. For example, the doctor has booked the patient in for an appendectomy. Open appendectomy without rupture (44950); laparoscopic appendectomy.
- Tariff codes are used for establishing fees and medical aid reimbursements.
Large Scale
Clinical Coding
Benefits of clinical coding
- It helps to standardise patient care. By using the same code numbers for similar diagnoses and procedures, healthcare providers can more easily compare patients and track outcomes.
- Improve communication between different healthcare providers. Providers can more easily share patient information by using a common language of code numbers.
- Enhance patient safety. Healthcare providers can more easily identify errors and potential adverse events by tracking code numbers.
- Reduce Healthcare costs. Using code numbers to track reimbursement, healthcare providers can more easily identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Improve public health. By tracking population-level data, policymakers and public health officials can more easily identify trends and target interventions.
By ensuring that clinical coding is accurate and up-to-date, healthcare providers can make informed decisions that improve patient care, reduce costs, more easily compare data, and find areas where care can be improved
In South Africa, clinical coding is essential due to the high burden of disease and the large number of patients seen by medical practices. Clinical coding can also help reduce healthcare costs by providing accurate information on resource utilisation.
