Description
TALAL ALSHAMMARI
WHO Online Classifications of Disease [ICD 10]
COLLAPSE
The ICD-10 manual serves as a comprehensive reference tool for healthcare professionals.
While navigating it requires a solid understanding of medical terminology and disease
classification, its structure facilitates locating specific codes. Diagnoses are categorized by body
system and further subdivided by specific conditions. The index plays a crucial role in this process,
guiding users toward the appropriate code sections based on keywords or a patient’s presenting
signs and symptoms (International Classification of Diseases (ICD), n.d.).
ICD-10 coding holds immense significance within the healthcare domain. It underpins the
accurate and standardized communication of diagnoses, ensuring clarity and consistency across
various healthcare settings. This standardization offers several advantages:
Streamlined billing: ICD-10 codes precisely define medical conditions, enabling healthcare
providers to submit accurate claims to insurance companies for services rendered. This precise
coding reduces the likelihood of errors and claim denials.
Enhanced medical research: Standardized coding facilitates epidemiological research by
enabling researchers to track specific diseases and treatment outcomes across diverse healthcare
settings. Coded data can be analyzed to identify disease trends, evaluate the effectiveness of
interventions, and inform the development of new treatments.
Improved public health monitoring: Public health agencies leverage ICD-10 codes to
monitor disease prevalence and trends within a population. This data empowers them to allocate
resources effectively, target preventive measures toward high-risk populations, and implement
disease control strategies.
Promoted quality of care: ICD-10 coding fosters analysis of healthcare utilization patterns.
By examining coded data, healthcare leaders can identify areas for improvement in patient care
delivery, optimize resource allocation, and measure the effectiveness of treatment protocols.
In conclusion, proficiency in ICD-10 coding is essential for ensuring efficient healthcare billing,
robust medical research, improved public health monitoring, and ultimately, the delivery of highquality patient care. While navigating the ICD-10 manual can present a challenge, the benefits it
offers healthcare stakeholders are undeniable.
References
International Classification of Diseases (ICD). (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2024, from
17 hours ago
JABER ALOSAIMI
Illness and Coding
COLLAPSE
The use of the ICD-10 manual in the coding of diseases will give a guideline that is
systematic and inflexible on how to classify and document the diseases. Some of these include:
I20.0 Unstable Angina: A cardiac condition characterized by the abrupt onset of chest
pain caused by temporary myocardial ischemia. It is often termed “intermediate coronary
syndrome” or “crescendo angina.” – Code: I20.0 (World Health Organization, n.d.)
I27.0 Primary Pulmonary Hypertension: It is a rare but severe disorder of the lungs in
which an abnormally high pressure of the blood vessels has no clear cause in the pulmonary
arteries.
I50.0 Congestive Heart Failure: A condition where the heart fails to provide the body
with the blood flow it requires and therefore pumps more than normally, resulting in symptoms
such as breathlessness and retention of fluids (World Health Organization, n.d.).
Reflections on the Coding Process
The exercise of navigating through the ICD-10 manual is one of the most demanding
exercises in the medical field. The user requires very precise eyes to details and scope knowledge
on terminologies used in medicine. More so, the system provides paramount regulation on
medical condition recording and reporting. This further provides for a level of accuracy and
consistency in the medical codes important for administration in health care and processing
insurance. The ICD-10 manual provides the standard language for all health care professionals;
hence there is effective communication and exchange of information within the whole world. It
is designed exactly to the specifications; very precisely, it says that it has a rigorous
comprehensive codebase database that helps healthcare providers document their diagnoses,
treatments, and procedures. Further, the ICD-10 provides reliable information for making
decisions in health care, quality improvement activities, and epidemiological research on the
level index for the prevalence of the disease and patterns of utilization of health care. The ICD
provides the cornerstone of modern practice for all healthcare professions and underpins various
aspects of health care delivery, management, and policy-making.
Benefits of Coding in Health Insurance
Coding in the purview of health insurance is a very basic element on which several
operations in the healthcare ecosystem are based. It is the standardized language at the core of
coding; this ensures an efficient processing of the billing and claims. That should, therefore,
enable the insurer to make clear determinations of the coverage and compensation based on
procedures and diagnoses as documented in medical records. This standardization ensures that
not only administrative but also financial processes taking place between the healthcare service
provider and the insurer are transparent and run accurately (Blundell, 2023). In addition, coding
is very important in trend analysis and resource management because it helps the insurer to
monitor patterns of healthcare utilization and cost. This will help insurers to plan ahead for any
medical service requirements because the areas with high demand will be apparent from the
coding data analysis and could spend resources in the area in a very planned way. These
proactive approaches, as applied in managing resources, enable insurers to optimize their
operations, their cost efficiency, and, in turn, the quality of care accorded to policyholders.
Similarly, these coding data give critical insights into the quality and cost-effectiveness
of service delivery in healthcare, hence supporting evidence-based decision-making to further
drive continuous improvement initiatives. It provides insurers with an invaluable tool for data
analysis to evaluate the value of specific treatments, interventions, and places in which the
system can be optimized, to produce better patient outcomes at a lower overall cost. It can also
help to frame and administer health policy (Blundell, 2023). This becomes particularly useful for
the policy-makers, who can get critical insights into the pattern of healthcare utilization,
monitoring population health trends, and an effective policy-making framework to tackle
emerging healthcare challenges. With such data on coding, the policymakers will be able to
design interventions in a position whereby they can easily promote the public’s health, its equity,
and even the accessibility of quality care by all individuals. From facilitating claims processing
and billing to assisting in resource allocation, quality assessment, and policy development,
coding is a keystone to the operations of health insurance.
References
Blundell, J. (2023). Health information and the importance of clinical coding. Anaesthesia &
Intensive Care Medicine, 24(4), 96–98.
World Health Organization . (n.d.). ICD-10 Version:2019. Icd.who.int.
18 hours ago
JABER ALOSAIMI
Informed Consent in Emergency Situations
C OLLA PSE
Medical emergencies necessitate immediate attention. Medical providers must act quickly to
save patients’ lives. Additionally, they should not face ethical-legal actions by not following
guidelines on obtaining informed consent. This means that informed consent might be
disregarded in medical emergency cases. Therefore, health providers must follow the necessary
steps in obtaining consent to ensure they prioritize patient well-being while avoiding potential
lawsuits that may follow.
Legal Considerations
Informed consent may be waived in emergencies if there is no time to obtain consent, the
patient cannot communicate, and no surrogate decision-maker is available (Shah et al., 2023).
However, implied consent is typically used in many emergencies or when the patient is
unconscious since there is not enough time to obtain consent from the patient or their
representative. Implied consent helps the medical provider manage a patient with a medical
emergency (Thirumoorthy, 2023). This means that it does not demand the medical provider to
obtain informed consent. The medical provider must only document the emergency events and
interventions and inform the patient’s representatives.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical principles also apply in medical emergencies (Varkey, 2021). This ensures that
the health provider chooses the interventions that benefit the patient. Therefore, the principle of
beneficence dominates during emergencies to ensure the medical provider prevents more harm to
the patient without having their consent (Cheraghi et al., 2023). After the procedure, the medical
provider has an ethical responsibility to ensure that the informed consent is signed.
Recommendations
Health providers can prevent ethical issues that would make them face legal action by not
obtaining the patient’s consent through the following measures;
1. Document the measures taken to obtain informed consent from the patient, their legal
representative, or relatives.
2. Obtain implied consent from the patient’s representatives and provide medical
interventions to save the emergency patient.
3. Document all the activities or events surrounding the medical emergency, including
treatment given.
4. Obtain and document informed consent as soon as possible.
References
Cheraghi, R., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., Hassankhani, H., & Jafarzadeh, A. (2023).
Clarification of Ethical Principle of the Beneficence in Nursing care: an Integrative
Review. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 1–9.
Shah, P., Thornton, I., Turrin, D., & Hipskind, J. E. (2023). Informed Consent. PubMed;
StatPearls
Publishing.
onsent%20may%20be%20waived
Thirumoorthy, T. (2023). Core concepts of consent in medical practice. Singapore Medical
Journal, 64(6), 398.
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of Clinical Ethics and Their Application to Practice. Medical
Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17–
28.
1 day ago
TALAL ALSHAMMARI
Informed Consent in emergency situations
C OLLA PSE
Informed consent is a fundamental component of both medical ethics and legal practice. It
empowers patients to make autonomous decisions about their healthcare after a clear
understanding of the proposed interventions. However, emergencies present a unique challenge,
as obtaining informed consent from the patient themself may not be feasible (Moskop, 1999).
When a patient arrives at the hospital in an unconscious state, necessitates emergency surgery.
In such circumstances, securing informed consent directly from the patient is impossible. Here’s
how the healthcare facility can navigate this situation while protecting both the patient’s well-being
and the facility’s legal standing.
Balancing Legal and Ethical Considerations
Emergency Exception and Legal Framework: Most legal frameworks recognize an emergency
exception to the informed consent doctrine. This exception allows for treatment to proceed without
explicit patient consent when the patient lacks decision-making capacity due to unconsciousness
or other incapacitating factors, or when delaying treatment poses a significant threat to the patient’s
life or overall well-being (Moskop, 1999).
Prioritization of Patient Well-being and Surrogate Decision-Making: The healthcare team’s
primary objective remains the patient’s welfare. Efforts should be directed toward identifying a
surrogate decision-maker, such as a spouse, parent, or adult child. This individual, presumed to be
familiar with the patient’s wishes and values, can then provide consent on the patient’s behalf.
Comprehensive Medical Record Documentation: Thorough medical record documentation
becomes crucial in emergency scenarios. This documentation should include a detailed account of
the patient’s presenting condition and the urgency of surgical intervention, a record of all attempts
made to locate a surrogate decision-maker, and consultation notes with other healthcare
professionals regarding the recommended course of action.
Ethical Principles as Guiding Framework: Even in emergencies, ethical principles
(Beneficence, Non-maleficence, and Autonomy) should guide decision-making.
Mitigating Legal Ramifications: By demonstrating a good faith effort to follow these steps, the
healthcare facility strengthens its legal defense against potential lawsuits alleging a lack of
informed consent. Conversely, a failure to document actions appropriately or act reasonably could
lead to legal challenges (Lin et al., 2019).
Conclusion
Informed consent remains a cornerstone of medical ethics and practice. However, in emergency
situations, prioritizing the patient’s well-being, meticulously documenting actions, and following
established protocols are crucial steps for healthcare facilities. This balanced approach helps
safeguard the patient’s best interests while protecting the facility from legal challenges.
References
Lin, Y.-K., Liu, K.-T., Chen, C.-W., Lee, W.-C., Lin, C.-J., Shi, L., & Tien, Y.-C. (2019). How to
effectively obtain informed consent in trauma patients: A systematic review. BMC Medical
Ethics, 20(1), 8.
Moskop,
J.
C.
(1999).
DEPARTMENT. Emergency
INFORMED
Medicine
CONSENT
Clinics
of
North
IN
THE
EMERGENCY
America, 17(2), 327–340.
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