NEW ZEALAND HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICE
Home > clinical coding services
Using ICD-10-AM, ACHI, ACS
ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS Education
HIMAA Courses Available in 2010/11
Information updated and confirmed by HIMAA as at 4 December 2009.
Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) offers distance education courses in medical terminology and ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding. Listed below are the courses available to New Zealand candidates:
Comprehensive Medical Terminology
Enrolments close – 12 March, 12 May, 12 July, and 12 September 2010
12 March intake – course commences 5 April 2010
Timetable 1: 24 weeks – Exam first Monday in November 2010
Timetable 2: 34 weeks – Exam first Monday in February 2011
12 May intake – course commences 7 June 2010
Timetable 1: 23 weeks – Exam first Monday in February 2011
Timetable 2: 39 weeks – Exam first Monday in June 2011
12 July intake – course commences 2 August 2010
Timetable 1: 17 weeks – Exam first Monday in February 2011
Timetable 2: 31 weeks – Exam first Monday in June 2011
12 September intake – course commences 4 October 2010
Timetable 1: 22 weeks – Exam first Monday in June 2011
Timetable 2: 44 weeks – Exam first Monday in November 2011
Challenge Examination in Medical Terminology
Examination dates for 2010 – 3 May and 30 November
To be eligible for the July 2010 intake for the Introductory ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course, applications for examination (with payment) AND the supervisor nomination form must be received NO LATER than 22 March 2010 for 3 May 2010 examination.
Introductory ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS 6th Edition Clinical Coding
Enrolments close – 12 March and 12 July 2010
12 March intake – course commences 5 April 2010
Timetable 1: 24 weeks – Exam first Monday in November 2010
Timetable 2: 34 weeks – Exam first Monday in February 2011
12 July intake – course commences 9 August 2010
Timetable 1: 22 weeks – Exam 11 April 2011 (exam date is for this timetable in this intake ONLY)
Timetable 2: 30 weeks – Exam first Monday in June 2011
Challenge Examination for Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS
All potential students enrolling in the HIMAA Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course are required to sit the Challenge Examination with the exception of students who have successfully completed the HIMAA Introductory ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS 6th edition clinical coding course within 15 months of their chosen intake date for the HIMAA Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course.
Examination dates for 2010 – 17 March and 17 June
To be eligible for the May 2010 intake for the Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course, applications for examination (with payment) AND the supervisor nomination form must be received NO LATER than 4 February 2010 for 17 March 2010 examination.
To be eligible for the August 2010 intake for the Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course, applications for examination (with payment) AND the supervisor nomination form must be received NO LATER than 5 May 2010 for 17 June 2010 examination.
Intermediate ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS 6th Edition Clinical Coding
Please note that it is a requirement for the selection of timetable 1 that the student is currently working as a clinical coder in a clinical record/coding department. Any student in timetable 1 who is required to do a B assessment will be automatically transferred to timetable 2 in the same intake and will be notified accordingly. The transfer will commence from the issue date of the B assessment.
Enrolments close – 12 May and 12 August 2010
12 May intake – course commences 7 June 2010
Timetable 1: 23 weeks – Exam first Monday in February 2011
Timetable 2: 31 weeks – Exam 11 April 2011 (exam date is for this timetable in this intake ONLY)
12 August intake – course commences 6 September 2010
Timetable 1: 21 weeks – Exam 11 April 2011 (exam date is for this timetable in this intake ONLY)
Timetable 2: 28 weeks – Exam first Monday in June 2011
Advanced ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS 6th Edition Clinical Coding
Enrolments close – 12 April 2010 ONLY
Students wishing to enrol in the Advanced ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course are required to sit a pretest. You may apply to sit the pretest after 10 January 2010 and must submit your completed pretest no later than 28 February 2010 to be eligible for the April 2010 intake. The pretest result is valid for 12 months.
12 April intake – course commences 10 May 2010
Timetable 1: 22 weeks
Timetable 2: 35 weeks
Clinical Coder Certification (CCC)
To achieve HIMAA Clinical Coder Certification candidates must successfully complete a two part assessment. Candidates must pass the Part 1 assessment to be eligible for Part 2 assessment.
The HIMAA Certificate of Achievement for the Advanced ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course meets the requirements to pass the Part 1 assessment of Clinical Coder Certification.
For further general information on the above courses visit the website www.himaa.org.au/education.html or contact:
Cheryl Smith
HIMAA Education Services
Australia
Email: education@himaa.org.au
Phone: +61 2 9887 5898
Tracy Thompson
Senior Advisor Coding Education
Clinical Coding Services
Ministry of Health
Email: coding_helpdesk@moh.govt.nz
HIMAA Course Assessment and Examination Requirements for New Zealand Conventions
The table provides a summary of the current New Zealand Conventions and the clinical coding requirements for New Zealand students undertaking HIMAA ICD-10-AM clinical coding courses.
Just three New Zealand Conventions impact on course assessments and examinations. These are highlighted in the table below.
In the HIMAA Course Requirements section of the table where it states ‘however, they will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations’, you will not be marked correct or incorrect, therefore you will not gain or lose any marks if the code(s) for the specific New Zealand Convention is assigned.
To view the full information on the New Zealand Conventions see the Clinical Coding Services website http://www.nzhis.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesns/534
| Australian Coding Standard (ACS) | New Zealand Convention (NZC) | HIMAA Course Requirements |
| Reporting Total Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Hours to the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) Updated October 2009 | In New Zealand there is a requirement to capture Total Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Hours for events with an event end date on or after 1 July 2008. | There is no requirement to calculate and report Total ICU Hours for HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0029 Coding of Contracted Procedures Updated October 2009 | In New Zealand only one hospital is to record and code the treatment provided under the contract arrangement and report to the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS). | This convention has no impact on HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0032 Allied Health Intervention | There is no mandatory requirement in New Zealand to report Allied Health Interventions to the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS). | Procedure codes for Allied Health Interventions are required to be assigned for all HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0048 Condition Onset Flag Updated October 2009 | New Zealand did not adopt ACS 0048 Condition Onset Flag as part of the 1 July 2008 ICD-10-AM 6th edition upgrade. | There is no requirement to capture the Condition Onset Flag values for HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0233 Morphology | Reporting morphology to the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) is not a mandatory requirement in New Zealand. | Morphology codes are required to be assigned for all HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0503 Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorders Counselling for tobacco use disorder - Amended October 2009 | This New Zealand convention is related to the mandatory reporting requirements aligned to the 2009 Health Target ‘better help for smokers to quit’. | The ICD-10-AM code Z71.6 Counselling for tobacco use disorder is not required for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, it will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0503 Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorders Exposure to tobacco smoke New October 2009 | This New Zealand convention is related to the reporting requirements for exposure to tobacco smoke. | The ICD-10-AM code Z58.7 Exposure to tobacco smoke is not required for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, it will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 1006 Ventilatory Support Updated October 2009 | In New Zealand there is a requirement to capture and report Total Hours of Noninvasive Ventilation (NIV) and Continuous Ventilatory Support (CVS) to the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS). | There is no requirement to calculate and report Total Hours of NIV and CVS separately for HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 1505 Single Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery | In New Zealand the intervention code 90467-00 [1336] Spontaneous vertex delivery must be assigned for all cases of normal vaginal delivery. | The ACHI code 90467-00 [1336] Spontaneous vertex delivery is not required for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, it will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 1904 Procedural Complications Effective 1 October 2009 | This New Zealand convention is an amendment on ACS 1904 Procedural Complications with regard to the code selection of principal diagnosis for ‘misadventure’ and ‘postprocedural complications’. | HIMAA students are required to follow ACS 1904 Procedural Complications and the ICD-10-AM alphabetical index for all HIMAA assessments and examinations when assigning codes for procedural complications. |
| ACS 2001 External Cause Code Use and Sequencing ACS 0026 Admission for Clinical Trial, Drug Challenge or Therapeutic Drug Monitoring | Z03.6 Observation for suspected toxic effect from ingested substance requires the assignment of external causes to identify the specific substance. This is a mandatory requirement in New Zealand as specified in the NMDS Data Dictionary. | External cause, place of occurrence and activity codes are not required in addition to the ICD-10-AM code Z03.6 for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, they will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations. |
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, offers a distance learning short course in Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology.
For further information about the course and enrolment dates visit the website below:
http://intouch.aut.ac.nz/intouch/CourseInfo/knowledge_base/kb_sub.php?articleid=296§ionid=12
La Trobe University, Australia, offers a distance education short course in Clinical Coding Auditing.
The course is designed to develop skills in auditing of coded data, analysing and reporting on audit outcomes, and developing strategies for dealing with these.
For further information about the course and enrolment date visit the website:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/publichealth/HIM/short_courses.htm#cca

