To deliver the highest quality patient care and to ensure proper billing for healthcare services, it’s essential to evaluate potential coding hires for their knowledge of ICD-10. Finding the right mix of skills and expertise as you interview candidates is necessary for both your bottom line and quality of patient care. You’ll want to establish a standard of criteria that addresses whether a candidate is adequate in ICD-10 and can meet workplace standards.
Here are some useful tips for evaluating if your potential hires are skilled in ICD-10.
Get an in-depth view of each candidate.
When interviewing candidates, be sure to ask detailed and specific questions about their individual work experience and education. Ask them how and when they learned ICD-10, and if their educational institution offers any additional training or refresher courses. Also, ask about their ability to use critical thinking skills on the job, because billers and coders regularly need to use critical thinking when inputting different medical conditions and procedures into ICD-10 coding. Candidates’ responses to these types of questions will reflect how equipped they are to handle coding responsibilities.
Evaluate communication skills.
Effective ICD-10 medical coding requires that your employees know how to communicate effectively with physicians to ensure all patients’ medical records are accurately recorded. Asking candidates to demonstrate their communication skills will give you an idea about how they’ve handled communication challenges in previous jobs. The best candidates are strong communicators who work well with physicians to make sure all patient data is recorded accurately and efficiently.
Ask candidates about coding certifications.
It’s important to ask candidates about coding certifications. A good candidate is usually in the process of becoming certified, or is interested in going through the certification process. Many companies support employees in earning certification, which is a good practice to consider as an employer. It’s important to find candidates who want to become certified, because it helps ensure your potential employee understands ICD-10 coding and is willing to prove that knowledge.
Finding the right candidates for your organization can be a challenge when you’re looking for a specific skillset. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it’s becoming harder to find qualified candidates due to a low number of applicants, competition from other employers, and lack of technical skills in applicants. Therefore, using the tips above to leverage your recruitment process can boost your hiring outcomes and position your organization as a true leader in patient-centered care.