Every ICD-10

The Situation

When a patient visits their healthcare provider, their physician must document every task and service they provide with a code to create insurance claims and bills. In 2015, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services transitioned the existing system of around 14,000 diagnostic codes to the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), which had nearly 70,000 codes. Previously codes may have just noted a fractured arm, whereas the new system was much more specific, such as whether it was the left arm or the right arm, how the injury occurred, and the treatment. This change was mandatory for all medical professionals. 

The Challenge

Health systems, providers, and insurers needed to be educated on the new system and how it would affect the way they worked. We needed a way to communicate the changes and let clients and prospects know that MedData was the expert they could rely on to help them make the transition.

The Solution

Beginning a year away from the transition date, we began an awareness campaign in industry journals with humorous ads highlighting some of the new codes and how MedData could help.

Then about 6 months from the October 1 deadline, we opened a Twitter account @EveryICD10 and began tweeting every single new code – often with humorous imagery – every few minutes to let people know the change was coming soon.

V97.33XA Sucked into jet engine, initial encounter #icd10

— EveryICD10 (@EveryICD10) September 24, 2015

W62.1XXS Contact with nonvenomous toads, sequela #icd10

— EveryICD10 (@EveryICD10) October 1, 2015

W61.33XA Pecked by chicken, initial encounter #icd10

— EveryICD10 (@EveryICD10) October 4, 2015

The Twitter account also directed visitors to a website where they could play a simple game called “ICD-10 or Not?” where they could guess if a code was a legitimate code. This game was also used at conferences and trade shows as a lure for attendees to test their knowledge and engage with the MedData team.

The Results

The ads were consistently rated by the publications as the most memorable by readers during the year. The Twitter account was picked up by a number of industry publications such as Becker’s and Fierce Healthcare, but also by national press like NBC News, the Washington Post, Business Insider, and NPR. 

There’s one code for if you get crushed by an alligator. There’s another code for if you get crushed by a crocodile. There’s one for if you are pecked by a chicken and one for when a killer whale smacks into you.

There used to be about 14,000 codes. Now there are 68,000.

It’s perfect for Twitter. @EveryICD10 is tweeting out every code.

The game attracted hundreds of attendees to our booth at national conferences like HIMSS and HFMA, resulting in great conversations, but even more importantly, Sales Qualified Leads.

What I Did

I conceived the campaign, wrote and designed the ads, and created the Twitter bot that sent out 68,000+ tweets.