As ICD-10 implementation gets closer, many healthcare providers have found themselves struggling to understand the deadline. This is due largely to the fact that the set date has been pushed back several times in an effort to allow all affected parties to prepare accordingly. With that in mind, it's important to recognize that ICD-10, though seemingly far away, is a great deal closer than you think. With the ICD-10 transition date now set for Oct. 1, 2015, take a look at some key information concerning the shift:

Hi, and welcome back to the Nextech blog! Today we're going to be discussing using mobility solutions to move your electronic health records system beyond the desk and PC.

Medical coding is a shared language that allows clinicians, insurers, and government agencies to effectively share information about a patient’s health. The coders in a plastic surgery practice use codes to communicate diagnoses and treatment procedures to payers.

Coding is the common language that allows ophthalmology clinicians, insurance companies, and government agencies to share and understand information about a patient’s health.

ICD-10 codes enable dermatology clinics, insurance companies, and government agencies to share information about a patient’s condition. They organize a tremendous number of dermatology diagnoses into a standardized format all three stakeholders can understand. ICD-10 stands for the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, created and maintained by the World Health Organization. WHO further divides diagnoses into ICD-10-CM (primarily used in outpatient and clinical settings) and ICD-10-PCS (primarily used in inpatient and hospital settings). Just as ICD-10 codes classify diseases, CPT codes classify procedures. Coders in a dermatology practice need to be well trained in both coding languages. Note: This content has been updated since the original publish date.

Part 3: The G20 & DoD Hacks The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Labs announced this morning that a team of criminal hackers have stolen an estimated total of $1 billion from over a hundred banks in at least twenty-five different countries (including the U.S.), in what security experts are calling one of the largest bank heists in history. Kaspersky representatives are quoted as saying it is “by far the most successful criminal cyber campaign we have ever seen.” Exactly how the hackers gained access to so many bank networks has yet to be disclosed, but some theorize that spear-phishing emails or unauthorized password sharing are possible causes. Then again, the cause might be the same as that of the two hacks we’ll be discussing in this third and final installment—the 2013 G20 Incident and the Department of Defense (DoD) Worm Infection—both of which were the result of mobile storage devices infected with malware.