by Susan Eustis
MED2020 supports natural language processing for computer assisted coding in Canada, garnering 50% market share in health information management solutions in Canada It has a strong ICD10 capability that gives it strategic advantage in the market. 3M is the other Canadian national language processing market participant in the market. NLP automation of coding by Med2020 supports coder ability to process 100s of charts per day. Automated systems make coder turn around time faster and processing more efficient.
The human has to make judgement calls on coding clinician services. Med2020 prompts someone using natural language processing and providing capability for input using the keyboard or speech recognition. Speech translates to text and text prompts coders to recognize the text and the ICD10 code.
A coder sitting there can put information into the system directly. However the coding is done, it recognizes text that describes a service – kidney procedure, carpel tunnel diagnosis –. The system prompts with a code if it perceives an item that can be coded. If the code suggested by the computer is correct, that correct ICD10 code is validated by a human and populated back to an abstract where it needs to go to complete the process, automating the coding of clinician services.
The computer assisted coding is saving time and money for a facility using the natural language system. Operational efficiency is achieved. This system is close to IBM Watson. Watson does not yet scan cursive writing, but should have that capability as the technology evolves. text to using voice recognition for natural language processing.
Automating coding or medical processes is done by prompting the coder with codes and in this manner the computer checks for accuracy. MED2020 Health Care Software is heading for really high percentiles for accuracy. It is being featured on an ehealth innovation showcase in western cites of Canada.
MED2020 Health Care Software Inc., a Canadian pioneer in Health Information Management solutions launched MED2020 codeSmart, a computer-assisted coding tool developed in collaboration with the National Research Council Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT).
Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) the system is able to analyze and convert speech to text. MED2020 codeSmart is designed to facilitate automation of the coding processes for Health Records departments in hospitals across Canada. Leveraging the considerable expertise of NRC’s research team, MED2020 is positioned to solve the challenges hospitals face in overcoming coding backlogs, coder shortages. The aim is to improve efficiencies.
The health care industry (with the World Health Organization) is determining the next coding classifications and is looking at ICD 11. MED2020 in Canada is looking at that initiative and thinking about making preparation for the next wave of specifications.