Final answer:
The transition to ICD-10-CM was a comprehensive process that involved several stages and took about five years to fully implement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The overall process to plan for, implement, and monitor the ICD-10-CM transition took approximately five years. This was a substantial update from the previous ICD-9-CM system and involved a detailed process that included legislation, system testing, training, and communication among various healthcare stakeholders. The transition was not just a simple update of medical codes, but a nationwide effort to enhance the accuracy and specificity of health data reporting which required careful planning, broad collaboration, and significant resources.