Planning a transition: the self-assessment

Know where you start

Know where you are starting from. WHO lists the questions a self-assessment should answer.

What you have now

First, infrastructure. What reporting infrastructure exists, and do national standards need updating? What computer and internet access is there, from hospitals to administrations? What lead time do IT changes need, and what translation work is required?

• Reporting · Standards · What reporting infrastructure exists, and are national standards and guidelines to be updated?
• Access · Internet · Computer availability and internet access in hospitals, doctors' offices, primary and community care, and administrations.
• Lead time · IT · The lead time for IT changes, and the local language translation work needed.

How ICD is used today

Second, use and need. Where, why and how is ICD used now, and which version, since when? What would you like changed from ICD-10? And what are the training needs for a successful implementation?

• Current use · Use · What is the current level of ICD implementation, and which version is in use since when?
• Problems · With ICD-10 · What would you like changed from ICD-10?
• Training · Needs · What are the training needs for successful implementation?

Who, and what it costs

Third, people and cost. Who are the stakeholders and decision makers? What do all aspects of the transition cost, including awareness and education, and are there savings? And what are the casemix and funding impacts?

• Stakeholders · Who · Who are the stakeholders and decision makers for mortality and morbidity?
• Costs · All of them · The costs of every aspect of the transition, and any savings, including awareness and education.
• Casemix · Funding · Casemix and activity-based funding classifications, and costing and pricing impacts.

Check yourself

Pause and think. Which costs should the self-assessment include? The answer: All aspects of the transition, including awareness and education. The self-assessment asks what all aspects of the transition cost, including awareness and education, and whether there are savings.

• Only software licences
• Only training for coders
• All aspects of the transition, including awareness and education
• Only the cost of printing

Keep these in mind

Assess infrastructure, use and people before planning. Include education and funding impacts in the cost. And use the self-assessment to guide budget, staffing and time.

• Assess infrastructure, use and people before planning
• Include education and funding impacts in the cost
• Self-assessment guides budget, staffing and time