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Computer-Assisted Coding 2016
Who Is Delivering Promised Value in ICD-10?
Author
Boyd Stewart
Author
Emily Paxman
More and more providers have adopted computer-assisted coding (CAC) solutions in response to ICD-10. Successful providers say the key is to look beyond the technology to find a vendor partner that provides strong implementations and training, that communicates and shares best practices throughout the tuning process, and that is dedicated to ongoing product improvement. This report examines which vendors are making strides to improve in these areas and how well CAC vendors perform in the core post-ICD-10 areas of precision, recall, speed-to-value, and impact on productivity.
1. DOLBEY DELIVERS FASTEST SPEED-TO-VALUE IN ICD-10; OPTUM360 STRUGGLES TO CONSISTENTLY MEET EXPECTATIONS
Most Dolbey customers report increases in productivity and typically say they are able to return to, or exceed, previous productivity levels after a period of two weeks to three months. Optum360 customers report an inconsistent experience with productivity, with some reporting they are satisfied and reach expected productivity levels within one to two months. Others estimate it will take up to two years to return to baseline productivity levels, pointing to delays in issue resolution and a lack of communication as challenges.
2. DOLBEY CUSTOMERS MOST SATISFIED WITH PRECISION AND RECALL
Customer satisfaction with precision and recall is often the result of strong NLP engine tuning, and vendors that have strong relationships with customers tend to deliver higher satisfaction. Dolbey customers report a high level of accuracy after go-live and say Dolbey clearly communicates best practices. Providers also say code suggestions are fairly complete. 3M’s customers credit strong recall to the vendor’s industry knowledge. Code precision is still an area for improvement, and providers say that while 3M is improving, the rate of improvement is slower than expected. Optum360 customers report that their vendor is weak in both recall and precision and say this is hindering productivity. Nuance customers say both precision and recall are inconsistent. Precyse customers report high consistency when it comes to precision and recall. There is room to improve, but providers say their needs are met.
3. VENDOR STRENGTHS: 3M HAILED FOR TECHNOLOGY, DOLBEY FOR STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND GUIDANCE
Providers say 3M's strength is technology and that 3M's NLP engine and deep coding experience are advantageous. 3M's acquired outpatient solution is not as well developed as the inpatient one, and ongoing communication is an area for improvement. Dolbey is known for responsive support, executive involvement, and consistent project management. Optum360 customers say that while the vendor's NLP engine is strong, the tuning process is difficult, with the vendor taking more time than expected to make changes. Nuance and Precyse customers say that their vendors' technology is improving, but they would like more communication around upgrades and development.
KLAS has also validated that customers are using ezDI and MModal for CAC. Early adopters report that their vendors communicate around future development and are responsive to their needs.
4. 3M MAKES HEADWAY AS IMPLEMENTATIONS IMPROVE; SEVERAL UNSATISFIED PRECYSE CUSTOMERS HAVE LEFT
3M customers' satisfaction with inpatient CAC is increasing thanks to improvements in communication, support, and on-site workflow projects—historically weak areas that still fall below expectations. On the outpatient side, 3M customers say the technology does not meet their needs. Several customers have uninstalled Precyse, saying the solution lacks scalability. Current Precyse customers say support is strong and the vendor's development strategy is clear. Provider satisfaction with Optum360 remains below expectations, and technology and communication challenges persist. Nuance and Dolbey customers say that their vendors' expansion limits their ability to consistently deliver strong interfaces and new technology, though Dolbey customers remain confident in the product's future.
5. WHAT CAC IMPLEMENTATION ADVICE DO PROVIDERS HAVE FOR THEIR PEERS?
Writer
Emily Paxman
Project Manager
Robert Ellis
This material is copyrighted. Any organization gaining unauthorized access to this report will be liable to compensate KLAS for the full retail price. Please see the KLAS DATA USE POLICY for information regarding use of this report. © 2024 KLAS Research, LLC. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Performance scores may change significantly when including newly interviewed provider organizations, especially when added to a smaller sample size like in emerging markets with a small number of live clients. The findings presented are not meant to be conclusive data for an entire client base.