The conversion to ICD-10 is "expensive, arduous, disruptive and of limited direct clinical benefit," according to the authors of an article published this week in the journal Health Affairs. They suggest that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services use the delay announced last month to incorporate SNOMED CT adoption and enhanced clinical documentation into the overall process, pointing out that both are required for clinical problems lists in Meaningful Use Stage 2. "U.S. stakeholders--including many small practices and hospitals--may not be able to tolerate the current pace of change, and policy makers can make a positive contribution by giving careful thought to the full impact of the processing challenges ahead," the authors write. Article (subscription required)