Final answer:
The correct term for the mappings between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM released by the NCHS is General Equivalency Mappings (GEMS). These serve a crucial role in the healthcare industry for maintaining consistent medical coding practices across different coding systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mappings between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM developed and released by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are known as B) GEMS (General Equivalency Mappings). These mappings were essential to facilitate the transition from the ICD-9-CM coding system, in use since 1979, to the updated ICD-10-CM coding system, which offers more detailed and updated medical codes. The GEMS provide a standardized tool that assists healthcare professionals, including medical coders and billers, in converting data from the older system to the newer one, maintaining consistency in electronic health records, insurance claims processing, and health statistics reporting.
In healthcare settings, ICD codes are widely used. For instance, clinicians use them to prescribe treatments and laboratories use them to confirm diagnoses through appropriate tests. Medical coders apply these codes to procedures performed, and medical billers use the coded information for insurance claims. Moreover, public health professionals utilize ICD codes for vital statistics and epidemiological purposes such as calculating morbidity and mortality statistics.