Computer Assisted Coding

Computer Assisted Coding - CAC

The question which hovers in our minds is whether Medical Coders are going to be replaced eventually by CAC.

This is what happened with Medical Transcription. It was eventually replaced by EHR, not all, but at least 80% is now handled by Voice recognition tools.

So this worry is not misplaced. It is genuine.

Do consider this point. Will you trust your CAC with all your coding charts. There will be high accuracy rate around 99% in one specialty. The reason for this is coding scenarios are simple and routine. There is not much change in the wordings and the computer can easily see the pattern and gets used to it. But will you be able to apply the same to all specialties in coding? No.

The reason is simple. Medicine is a constantly evolving area with new cutting edge technologies being brought in every hour. Added to it is the payers' rules and regulations which keep shifting. When unpredictability is involved in the formula, it is high risk to use CAC. Human intervention is needed and much sought after. For example, Emergency department coding. This specialty always is quite challenging. You cannot predict the nature of the patients' illness in the Emergency department.

Though CAC is definitely not totally obsolete, it does have its set of drawbacks. These need to be fixed before human intervention can be totally eliminated. That might take some time. So until then Coders are going to be much needed and their demand is going to be trending.

You can carve a niche for yourself in Medical Coding field by joining a reputable training course.

Do get in touch with me for any clarifications!

vijayarani.s@velaninfo.com

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