Final answer:
The process described is Computer-Assisted Coding (CAC), which employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) to convert dictated medical information into ICD and CPT codes. ICD codes are found in medical laboratories and healthcare management systems to ensure appropriate tests and treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of extracting and translating dictated and then transcribed free-text data into ICD and CPT codes for billing and coding purposes is known as Computer-Assisted Coding (CAC). This technology uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to interpret the free text and convert it into the standardized codes used for healthcare billing and epidemiology. Two locations where you would likely find an ICD code include the medical laboratory, where tests are identified based on the diagnosis code, and the health-care management system, which verifies treatments and laboratory work are appropriate for a specific diagnosis.
For instance, a clinician suspects a viral infection and uses the appropriate ICD code to order laboratory tests and prescribe treatments. The medical coder then assigns this ICD code to the procedures performed, and medical billers process insurance claims based on this code. Moreover, ICD codes are essential for vital-records keepers to record cause of death on death certificates and for epidemiologists to generate morbidity and mortality statistics.