ICD-10 Holiday Related Codes to Get You in the Spirit
The holiday season has arrived! Many of us, except those in cahoots with the Grinch, love taking part in all of the holiday activities that take place during this time of the year! This means decorating holiday cookies with fine green and red sprinkles, placing bulbs neatly around our hand cut tree, and maybe even caroling around our neighborhoods.
It’s hard to say when W00.9XXA (unspecified fall due to ice or snow) will happen while your family is out singing jingle bells, or when your kiddo will experience W34.110 (accidental malfunction of a BB gun) with their new Christmas gift.
As a medical provider, these are likely not the only ICD-10 codes you’ll be utilizing in your EHR system this holiday season. Here are a few more…
- Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree… – You may have a W14 (fall from a tree) if your patient decides to get a humongous tree and they experience a fall. (Recommendation: a shorter tree.)
Yikes, too much food! – Patients who overindulge in the holiday feast may be in need of some Tums to relieve R12 (heartburn).- Holiday exhaustion – YAWN! – Do you have parents coming in complaining of Z72.820 (sleep deprivation)? Maybe they were up too late wrapping all of the gifts for the good boys and girls.
Yikes, too much food! – Patients who overindulge in the holiday feast may be in need of some Tums to relieve R12 (heartburn).
- Sledding through the snow – If that sled hits high speeds while going down the hill, patients may appear at your office with an injury related to Y93.23 (activity, snow, sledding). (Recommendation: patients should steer clear of trees.)
- Down we go! – Ice is great in drinks, but not so much where you are trying to walk. When your patient comes in with a W00 (fall due to ice and snow), it is safe to assume it may be time to throw some salt down on the walk way to your practice.
- Horse drawn sleigh gone wrong – If a patient enters your practice from a sleigh ride gone wrong, you’ll be entering the unexpected V80.1 (injury as occupant of animal-drawn vehicle) into your EHR system. (Recommendation: Invest in a sleigh with airbags.)
- Sibling Vs. Sibling – Did one sibling decide that they liked the other sibling’s gifts just a wee bit better this holiday? Yikes! That can result in a slew of problems, even resulting in injuries related to Z62.891 (sibling rivalry).
- Oh holly jolly emotions – ‘Tis the season to be emotional! Patients at your practice may have you using F43.8 (emotional stress) due to family woes, shopping blunders, and holiday fatigue.
- DIY Nightmares – Everyone wants to save a little money around the holidays, and sometimes this means creating DIY gifts with glue, scissors, and potentially even tools like hammers, and nails. When the going gets tough, you may be utilizing Y93.D (arts and crafts injury) for hurt thumbs due to one of those thoughtfully cheap gifts.
Now, we have placed a funny spin on some of things potentially scary issues for your patients. Keep in mind that while the holidays are meant to be joyous, they can also be a difficult (and dangerous) time for your patient base.
Are you looking for an EHR system to help you make ICD-10 coding a bit easier? MicroMD can help. Visit us today at MicroMD.com or call us at 800.624.8832.
About the author,
Savanna Adams
Savanna is the Marketing Communication Specialist at Henry Schein MicroMD. She schedules emails to clients, prospects, and VARs, manages social media accounts, performs research, writes blogs and eBooks, and much more while helping to support the simple yet powerful MicroMD solutions.
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