Information on distance courses on medical terminology and ICD-10 AM/ACHI/ACS clinical coding.
On this page
- Auckland University of Technology
- Health Information Management Association of Australia
- La Trobe University
Auckland University of Technology
The Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand, offers a distance-learning short course in Medical Terminology.
For further information about the Certificate of Proficiency in Medical Terminology course and enrolment dates visit the AUT website.
Health Information Management Association of Australia
The Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) offers distance-education courses in medical terminology and ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS clinical coding. Listed below are the courses available to New Zealand candidates:
- Comprehensive Medical Terminology
- Challenge Examination in Medical Terminology
- Introductory ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS Clinical Coding
- Challenge Examination for Advanced ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS
- Advanced ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS Clinical Coding
- Clinical Coder Certification
For further general information on the above courses visit the HIMAA website or contact:
HIMAA Education Services
Australia
Email: [email protected]
Ministry of Health
Email: [email protected]
Course assessment and examination requirements for New Zealand Coding Conventions
The table below provides a summary of the current New Zealand Coding Conventions and the clinical coding requirements for New Zealand students undertaking HIMAA ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS clinical coding courses.
Just two New Zealand Coding Conventions impact on HIMAA course assessments and examinations. These are listed in the table.
In the HIMAA Course Requirements section of the table where it states ‘however, they will be marked as an optional code for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations’, you will not be marked correct or incorrect, therefore you will not gain or lose any marks if the code(s) for the specific New Zealand Coding Convention is assigned.
To view the full information on the New Zealand Coding Conventions go to New Zealand clinical coding conventions.
| Australian Coding Standard (ACS) | New Zealand Convention (NZC) | HIMAA Course Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| ACS 0032 Allied Health Interventions |
There is no mandatory requirement in New Zealand to report Allied Health Interventions to the NMDS. Therefore, coding Allied Health Interventions as per ACS 0032 is optional. | Procedure codes for Allied Health Interventions are required to be assigned for all HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0233 Morphology |
There is no mandatory requirement in New Zealand to report morphology to the NMDS. Therefore, coding morphology as per ACS 0233 is optional. | Morphology codes are required to be assigned for all HIMAA assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0503 Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorders |
The New Zealand Coding Convention to assign ICD-10-AM code Z71.6 Counselling for tobacco use disorder relates to the reporting requirement previously aligned to the Health Target ‘Better help for smokers to quit’. This reporting requirement is now aligned with the DHB Non-Financial Monitoring Framework and Performance Measure ‘Better help for smokers to quit in public hospitals’. | The ICD-10-AM code Z71.6 Counselling for tobacco use disorder is not required for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, it will be marked as optional if included in assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 0534 Specific Interventions Related to Mental Health Care Services | There is no mandatory requirement in New Zealand to report mental health care interventions to the NMDS. Therefore, coding mental health care interventions listed in ACS 0534 is optional. As per the ACS 0533 Electroconvulsive theraphy (ECT) will continue to be coded. |
Mental health interventions are not required for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, they will be marked as optional if included in assessments and examinations. |
| ACS 2001 External Cause Code Use and Sequencing |
Z03.6 Observation for suspected toxic effect from ingested substance requires the assignment of an external cause to identify the specific substance, place of occurrence and activity codes. This is a mandatory requirement in New Zealand as specified in the NMDS Data Dictionary. | External cause, place of occurrence and activity codes are not required in addition to the ICD-10-AM code Z03.6 for HIMAA assessments and examinations. However, they will be marked as optional for NZ students if included in assessments and examinations. |
La Trobe University
La Trobe University, Australia, offers a distance-education short course in Clinical Coding Auditing.
The course is designed to develop skills in auditing of coded data, analysing and reporting on audit outcomes, and developing strategies for dealing with these.
For further information about the course visit the La Trobe University website.