What is the software program used to assign diagnosis and procedure codes in healthcare?

The software program specifically designed to assign diagnosis and procedure codes in healthcare is known as an encoder. Encoders play a vital role in healthcare settings by helping coding professionals accurately translate medical documentation, including physician notes and other records, into standardized codes. These codes are essential for billing, reporting, and ensuring compliance with various healthcare regulations.

Encoders provide valuable features such as lookup functions for codes, the ability to suggest codes based on the terminology used in documentation, and tools to ensure that coding adheres to guidelines. This streamlines the coding process, enhances accuracy, and minimizes the risk of errors, thereby supporting efficient healthcare operations and accurate reimbursement processes.

While coding professionals may be informally referred to as coders, they rely on encoder software to facilitate their work. Other options, like parser and decipher, do not pertain to coding in the healthcare context and serve different functions within software systems. Therefore, the encoder stands out as the correct choice for the specific task of assigning diagnosis and procedure codes in healthcare.