COVID-19 Response Home

The implementation guides provides FHIR profiles for COVID-19 related data and is available for reference AT NO COST.

In the message I received announcing the availability of this work Logica states, "Our goal is to provide immediate help in the current crisis, not in 6 months from now, so we are publishing artifacts as soon as possible, recognizing they will not be perfect or comprehensive, but useful. With feedback from early reviews and implementations we will iteratively publish corrections and additional content, as fast as we can."

The work is copyrighted by Logica with all rights reserved. However, all assets are available under Open Source license free of charge and are targeted at health systems and HIT implementors to rapidly produce semantically interoperable solutions across vendor platforms. The models are provided without warranty or guarantee of accuracy, completeness, or fit for purpose.  Initial assets include clinically prioritized:

• FHIR R4 profiles.
• Value sets using proper LOINC, SNOMED, and vendor agnostic codes. 

Initial focal categories are:

• Demographics
• Organizational Data
• Vital Signs
• Exposure History
• Symptoms
• Diagnostics Tests (labs, O2 sat..)
• Diagnosis

Here's more information on who Logica is:

Logica Sandbox and Gallery, formerly known as HSPC (the Healthcare Services Platform Consortium) Sandbox and Gallery.

Mailing address is:

Logica

812 W Lucky Clover Cir

Salt Lake City, UT 84123-4586

April 1, 2020

The official guidelines for the new ICD-10-CM code go into effect today through Sept. 30 and have been posted by the Centers for Disease Control. These codes will help capture and report surveillance data for the virus. The AHA was in close communication with CDC to move the original October implementation earlier and collaborated on the development of the coding guidelines.

Everyone seems to have a COVID-19 resource page, so in case you need more of those, here is the one from CLSI:

https://clsi.org/standards-development/coronavirus-disease-update-from-clsi/

List of Vaccines and Treatments currently in development.

 https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2020/03/fastercures-100-plus-vaccines-and-treatments-fill-growing-covid-19?utm_source=brief

ONC has posted a blog about adding Covid-19 Projects to the Interoperability Proving Ground https://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/interoperability/calling-all-covid19-health-it-projects
 
If you know of any Covid-19 specific projects please add and/or share this link https://www.healthit.gov/techlab/ipg/?tag=COVID-19

Thanks to Walter Suarez for supplying these additional COVID-related efforts taking place in the US:

• COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition:
• https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/health-it-heavy-hitters-join-forces-covid-19-healthcare-coalition
• http://geekdoctor.blogspot.com/2020/03/bringing-out-best-in-us.html
• http://geekdoctor.blogspot.com/2020/03/coming-together-to-save-lives-during.html
• AHRQ
• https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-HS-20-008.html
• ONC HITAC Formation of a COVID Task Force
• https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/onc-advisory-committee-forming-covid-19-task-force-to-focus-privacy-interoperability-issues?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=rss
• ONC COVID Resource Page
• https://www.healthit.gov/coronavirus

See the List

During this pandemic, those on the front lines—including health care professionals, researchers, and more—need quick, easy access to real-time critical data. This type of information exchange is what APIs do best, and as an API-first company, Postman is committed to providing whatever assistance we can in this area. Specifically, we've created a web page displaying API resources including a list of API collections that can help in the COVID-19 fight.

Information sent via email from The Postman Team on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

Forwarded to Lisa Nelson from Linda Michaelsen.

List of COVID-19 Related Hackathons

LaVerne Perlie MSN, BSN, RN announced today that ONC has listed applicable terminologies for COVID-19 tests and coded results in the Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) (click link) https://www.healthit.gov/isa/covid-19.  These include terms recently released by LOINC, SNOMED and CPT, and others.

LaVerne Perlie MSN, BSN, RN serves in the role of Nurse Consultant- DHHS/ONC/OPOL for theInteroperability Systems Branch of US Health and Human Services. Her email is: LaVerne.Perlie@hhs.gov

Here's a link to a dedicated LOINC SARS-CoV-2 FAQ: https://loinc.org/sars-coronavirus-2/

And LOINC prerelease terms, with all of the SARS-CoV-2 terms at the top: https://loinc.org/prerelease

This information was provided by @Swapna Abhyankar

Are any of you aware of any FHIR IG development related to COVID-19? Logica is willing to create an IG and want to make sure that we are not replicating efforts. Profiles we are thinking to include are:

1. Labs
2. Signs and Symptoms
3. Pertinent Demographics

We could have the FHIR profiles created quickly if that's something we can do.  If you want to be involved in the development, reply here and indicate how you would like to be involved. Thanks...Susan

Susan A. Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS

Office +1 (801) 447-9294| Cell: +1 (801) 680-2161

email: susan.matney@imail.org

On Saturday, March 21, 2020, the eHealth Initiative sent a message to its members with a list of resources that may be useful to people tackling the coronavirus public health emergency.

Repeating them here for amplification.

• AHIMA - New ICD-10-CM Code for COVID-19 (Link)

• AAFP (AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS) - AAFP Raises Pressure for Federal Response to COVID-19 (Link)

• ACOG - Are Pregnant Women at Increased Risk for COVID-19? (Link) 

• ACS (AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY) - American Cancer Society Suspends All Events until Mid-May (Link)

• AllSCRIPTS - How to Streamline Telehealth Implementation for Safer COVID-19 Patient Encounters (Link)

• AMAZON WEB SERVICES - Can Cloud Computing Cope With COVID-19 Demands? (Link)

• AHA (AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION) - What Heart Patients Should know about COVID-19 (Link)

• AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY - Expert Radiologists Developing an AI Solution to Detect COVID-19 (Link)

• AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PATHOLOGISTS (ACP) - COVID-19: An ACP Physician's Guide (Link)

• BCBS (Blue Cross and Blue Shield) - Companies Announce Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for All Members (Link)

• BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON - NIH Selects Booz Allen to Provide Services to Support Infectious Disease Research like COVID-19. (Link)

• CERNER - Cerner's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic (Link)     

• CHANGE HEALTHCARE - As the COVID-19 Evolves, Change Healthcare Mobilizes Task Force to Take Swift Action to Protect Your Data. (Link)

• CHRISTUS HEALTH - CHRISTUS Health Statement Regarding COVID-19​ (Link)

• COLORADO RHIO - While Practicing Social Distancing CORHIO Remains Fully Operational--Providing Uninterrupted Data Exchange for Colorado. (Link)

• EHNAC - EHNAC’s Executive Director, Lee Barrett, Comments on Finalization of HHS Rules on Interoperability and Data Blocking Regulations (Link) 

• ELI LILLY - Lilly Co-develop Antibody Therapies for the Treatment of COVID-19 (Link)       ​

• FITBIT - Fitbit Has the Ability to Track Spread of COVID-19 in Real Time (Link)

• GOOGLE CLOUD - Google Cloud Cancels its Next Conference Due to COVID-19 (Link)

•  HEALTH CATALYST - Health Catalyst Announces Three COVID-19 Solutions for U.S. Clients at No Incremental Cost for the Remainder of This Year. (Link)​​​

• HEALTH CURRENT - How Health Current is Helping During the COVID-19 Crisis (Link)

• HEALTHIX - Healthix Releases a List of Participants Currently Testing For COVID-19 (Link)

• HOGAN LOVELLS - “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” Could Mean Massive Changes for Employers Nationwide (Link)

• INOVALON - How Inovalon is Responding to COVID-19 (Link)

• INTERSYSTEMS - Intersystems Provides Hospitals with Functionality to Screen for COVID-19 with TrakCare . (Link)

• LEXISNEXIS - Lexis Practice Advisor ® has developed a Coronavirus Resource Kit. (Link)

• LIFEWIRE - Deploying Telehealth for COVID-19​ (Link)

• MARSHFILED CLINIC - COVID-19: What You Need to Know (Link)

• MAYO CLINIC - COVID-19: Flattening the Curve (Link)

• MGMA - MGMA COVID-19 Action Center (Link)

• NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF HEALTH CARE COALITIONS - Employer Town Hall on the Coronavirus (Link)

• NORTHWELL HEALTH - Staring Down the Coronavirus (Link)

• OHIO HEALTH - Ohio Health Officials Address Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic (Link)   

• PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH - Providence St. Joseph Health Offers Coronavirus Lessons from Treating 'Patient One' in the U.S. (Link)

• STRATEGIC INTERESTS - COVID-19 Monitoring and Surveillance Solution (Link)

• UCHICAGO MEDICINE - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Information and Resources (Link)

• UNITED HEALTHCARE (UHC) - Helping You Stay Informed About Coronavirus (Link)

• WELLMARK - Important Health Plan Benefits Updates Regarding COVID-19 (Link)     ​

• ZIPNOSIS - Find Out Your Risk Level of Contracting COVID-19 Zipnosis. (Link)

  
  

CPT® Category I Pathology and Laboratory Code for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19])

AMA CPT COVID-19 coding and guidance
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/covid-19-coding-and-guidance

Quick reference flow chart for CPT reporting for COVID-19 testing (PDF)
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/cpt-reporting-covid-19-testing.pdf

Coding scenarios and how to apply best coding practices (PDF)
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/covid-19-coding-advice.pdf

CPT® releases new coronavirus (COVID-19) code & description for testing
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-releases-new-coronavirus-covid-19-code-description-testing

AMA Fact Sheet: Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/cpt-assistant-guide-coronavirus.pdf

• Manual upload of code descriptor into EHR.
• CPT code 87635 will be part of the complete CPT code set in the data file for 2021.
• Microbiology subsection of the Pathology and Laboratory section.
• Long code descriptor note: Code 87635 will be a child code under parent code 87471.
• It is represented here as the full long descriptor including the language from parent code 87471.
• If the claim is submitted to a payer that requires CPT codes, then code 87635 should be reported.
• Conversely, if the payer requires use of the HCPCS Level II code, the HCPCS Level II code should be reported. CPT and HCPCS codes should not both be reported on the same claim.

CMS, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)

HCPCS is a standardized coding system that Medicare and other health insurers use to submit claims for services provided to patients.

Testing for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19)

Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 Medicare

https://www.cms.gov/files/document/03052020-medicare-covid-19-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.cms.gov/files/document/03092020-covid-19-faqs-508.pdf

• Medicare claims processing will accept claims with U0001 and U0002 starting on Apr 1 2020, for dates of service on or after Feb 4 2020.
• If the claim is submitted to a payer that requires CPT codes, then code 87635 should be reported. Conversely, if the payer requires use of the
  HCPCS Level II code, the HCPCS Level II code should be reported.
• CPT and HCPCS codes should not both be reported on the same claim.

Quest Diagnostics' test is a molecular based assay which detects viral RNA in respiratory specimens.

Learn More

Test Code 39433 - SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Qualitative Real-Time RT-PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
https://testdirectory.questdiagnostics.com/test/test-detail/39433/sars-cov-2-rna-qualitative-real-time-rt-pcr?q=39433&cc=MASTER

Our Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/home/Covid-19/

Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/dms/Documents/covid-19/SARSCoV-2_HCP_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Billing

CPT® releases new coronavirus (COVID-19) code & description for testing, effective Mar 13 2020: 87635
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/cpt-assistant-guide-coronavirus.pdf
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-releases-new-coronavirus-covid-19-code-description-testing

HCPCS - U0002 - Billing coded for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19) tests, specifically for Non-CDC laboratories - Mar 5 2020
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-develops-additional-code-coronavirus-lab-tests

LabCorp made its COVID-19 test available on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

Learn More

Q&A: LabCorp's Testing for COVID-19
https://www.labcorp.com/assets-media/2330

• COVID-19 tests performed by LabCorp are qualitative assays using PCR technology (polymerase chain reaction)
• Beginning Mon Mar 16 2020, LabCorp is performing the Roche test for COVID-19
• Tests have the same test code, 139900

Sample Report, 139900
https://files.labcorp.com/testmenu-d8/sample_reports/139900.pdf

Information from LabCorp about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
https://www.labcorp.com/information-labcorp-about-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

• LabCorp announced that it will be able to perform more than 20,000 COVID-19 tests per day beginning Friday, March 20, ahead of its original schedule.
• LabCorp is now performing COVID-19 testing at its labs in Phoenix, Ariz., Burlington, N.C., and Raritan, N.J.

Billing

CPT® releases new coronavirus (COVID-19) code & description for testing, effective Mar 13 2020: 87635
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/cpt-assistant-guide-coronavirus.pdf
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-releases-new-coronavirus-covid-19-code-description-testing

HCPCS - U0002 - Billing coded for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19) tests, specifically for Non-CDC laboratories - Mar 5 2020
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-develops-additional-code-coronavirus-lab-tests

Great information on COVID-19 Labs from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

https://www.aphl.org/programs/preparedness/Crisis-Management/COVID-19-Response/Pages/default.aspx

COVID-19 HL7 Data Messaging FAQs

Tested link on Mar 25 2020 and PDF no longer available; cannot locate.

https://www.aphl.org/programs/preparedness/Crisis-Management/Documents/03.03.2020_Updated_Informatics_FAQs_Guidance_(002).pdf

See bottom of Page 2/top of Page 3 for ORU_R01 COVID-19 sample messages (2.5.1 and 2.3.1) for four scenarios:

1) Inconclusive
2) Not Detected
3) SpmUnsat (specimen unsatisfactory)
4) Detected

Message segments are:

MSH | Message Header
PID | Patient Identification
ORC | Order Common
OBR | Observation Request
OBX | Observation Result
NTE | Note
SPM | Specimen

ICD-10 COVID-19 Codes

Table created from coding guidance 2/20/2020:  https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/ICD-10-CM-Official-Coding-Gudance-Interim-Advice-coronavirus-feb-20-2020.pdf

NCQA has announced changes to their Accreditation process in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Changes apply to the March-September 2020 timeframe for any future surveys and include:

• Practitioners who provide care during a public health emergency.
• CMS 1135 waivers for state licensing.
• Schedule extensions and grace periods for certain requirements.

Get more information here: https://www.ncqa.org/covid/

Looking for codes you can use to create discrete data related to the diagnosis, admission/discharge, treatment, and surveillance of coronavirus? 

There is a very helpful post on Grahame Grieve's website that was created with lots of input from various people.  Thanks to all!  http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=2988

It was posted on March 12th, 2020.

The CDA Examples Task force is also working on an example that shows how to record coronavirus screening results.  Watch for that to be released in the near future here: http://hl7-c-cda-examples.herokuapp.com/

Under the Results Section.

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