What Is An ICD-10?

KYW Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It is called ICD-10 and unless you are a physician or a coder, a person who bills for physicians, it should not be your concern.

It is a very precise way to document illness. But, sometimes the best intentions can cause problems.

Have you noticed that when you go to your physician's office your doctor might be spending more time typing on the computer than looking at you? That is because in order to get paid physicians now have to have an extremely detailed summary of your doctor's visit. I mean extreme -- down to the point of precision that is rarely seen anywhere else in society.

The good news is that physicians are focusing on patients's health problems in extensive detail -- that is a good thing. But with all of the clerical work many are falling short on the art of medicine -- the human side. More and more it is being replaced by face to face interactions with a computer screen and a list of boxes to click rather than a word of comfort or a subtle diagnosis that can only be made by paying attention to the person rather than a detailed document.