Computer Assisted Coding (CAC)
Computer Assisted Coding (CAC) in its most basic form is the use of computerized tools to automate the assignment of certain medical or surgical codes (ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM and CPT/HCPCS) from clinical documentation that are traditionally assigned by coding or HIM professionals as well as clinical providers. Today, CAC has evolved to a wider range of software applications that process clinical information from electronic documents and generate codes using either structured text input or natural language processing (NLP) for validation. More and more healthcare organizations are evaluating using CAC as part of their coding workflow to increase productivity and ease the transition to ICD-10.
For more information:
- AHIMA: Automated Coding Workflow and CAC Practice Guidance
- AHIMA Practice Brief: Delving into Computer-assisted Coding
- HFMA: Using Coding Automation to Aid the Transition to ICD-10
- Healthcare Informatics: Is Computer-Assisted Coding Ready For Inpatient Use?