The conversion to ICD-10 is less than five months away. With the start date for ICD-10 set for Oct. 1, 2015, it is imperative for coding professionals using ICD-9 to begin practicing the new ICD-10 coding conventions.

There are approximately 68,000 ICD-10 codes, compared to 14,000 ICD-9 codes. The good news is that approximately 78% of ICD-9 codes map “one-to-one” with an ICD-10 code, according to the American Health Information Management Association. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that converting from ICD-9 to ICD-10 will be easy, making practice essential. If coders do not practice using ICD-10, they are more likely to struggle to properly code when the October 1 deadline arrives.

Fortunately, there are a number of resources available to help coders learn how to apply ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes correctly.

PGM’s free ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion tool allows users to easily convert ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes and vice versa by selecting the ICD conversion type followed by a user defined code.

There are also numerous, free ICD-10 practice quizzes online.

HCPro’s JustCoding has developed an archive of challenging quizzes that focus on specific coding topics, including many on ICD-10. They include the following:

The Advance Healthcare Network has its own set of ICD-10 practice tests to help you prepare for the transition. Access them by clicking here.

Finally, 3M published an eGuide of its three most-viewed ICD-10 coding scenarios, which can be found by clicking here. You can view archives of 3M ICD-10 coding challenges by clicking here.