Page 240 - DCAP305_PRINCIPLES_OF_SOFTWARE_ENGINEERING

Principles of Software Engineering

Notes Of note is that the key documents were not present for all patients. The History and Physical
report was handwritten or came from another source (physician office, clinic). The Discharge
Summary was handwritten or not required (in cases of OB, NB, short-stay patients). A key
issue for CAC will be the presence of complete documentation in a form that the software
can read.
Discussion
The CAC products we tested did reflect improvements in the technology from software
that required structured text or parsed data in order to recognize the phrases to be coded to
software that could select key phrases within text to be coded. The software tested second
also reflected improved ease in use and sophistication of code selection.
Because of the vast number of codes presented to the coder, the software did not improve
productivity as expected. Future versions of CAC software for inpatient documentation
need to reduce the number of codes presented to the coder. The software can do this by
removing symptoms when related to specific diagnoses and by eliminating the unspecified
and specified forms of the same code. It needs to be ‘smart’ enough to assign fifth digits,
V-codes and E codes.
Correct coding is more than just following the rules in the code. Billing guidelines also
determine correct selection and sequencing of codes. At this point, CAC is not a panacea for
poor coding. It cannot reduce under coding. In order to do this, the software must recognize all
terms and assign the correct code. Currently, the software we tested often missed subsequent
documentation or failed to link separated diagnostic or procedural statements that could
result in a higher level of ICD-9-CM or CPT code.

The software also cannot reduce over coding. In order to do this, the software must incorporate
rules related to unbundling of codes that are included with the main diagnostic or procedural
code. It must also eliminate codes that are not being treated (such as history or rule outs).
Questions
• Explain the computer-assisted coding.

• Describes the coding accuracy.

Self Assessment Questions
6. During software life cycle, which activity generally consumes the maximum effort?

(a) Design (b) Maintenance
(c) Testing (d) Coding

7. Which is not a software life cycle model?
(a) Spiral Model (b) Waterfall Model
(c) Prototyping Model (d) Capability maturity Model
8. SRS stands for ………..

(a) Software requirement specification (b) software requirement solution
(c) system requirement specification (d) None of these.

9. structured programming codes includes?
(a) sequencing (b) alteration
(c) iteration (d) All of these.

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