Medical coding – Quo vadis ?

A day of discussion on the future of coding: 3 December in Lausanne
Organised by Espace Compétence and the Swisscoding Academy, with the participation of KodeMed.

The medical coder of tomorrow: anticipating changes, understanding IT developments, shaping the future.

The profession of medical coder is evolving.
The gradual introduction of artificial intelligence tools and IT solutions dedicated to coding,
growing expectations regarding the funding of the healthcare system, and current developments
are now prompting the entire profession to ask itself new questions.
– How can we prepare for the future of the profession?
– How can we maintain and enhance the quality of coding?
– What skills will be essential in the future?
– And what role should we give to new tools whilst continuing to value expertise and
professional judgement?

But also, in very practical terms: How will my job evolve, and how can I plan my career
in the medium and long term, taking all these developments into account?

Espace Compétences and Swisscoding Academy invite you to explore the ideas raised at the
SSCM’s annual conference in 2025 during a day of discussions, enabling French-speaking
coding professionals to share experiences, questions and their vision for the future.

To ensure that everyone can take part, the event is free of charge.

This event is not intended to provide definitive answers. It is, above all, designed as
a forum for dialogue, the sharing of experiences and joint reflection on the challenges and
opportunities facing the profession.
Various speakers will come together to exchange views and experiences around three main
areas of discussion.

1. The evolution of medical coding
How will the profession evolve over the coming years?
Which skills will become more important, particularly in view of the new federal certificate?
How can teams prepare for the changes brought about by AI tools?

To inform this discussion, a range of professional experiences and testimonials from coding team leaders
in French-speaking Switzerland will provide insights, particularly on the following topics:
– Trends and tools driving the evolution of the profession
– The current state of play and initial experiences with artificial intelligence
– Practical experiences and changes resulting from the ‘automation’ of medical coding, as experienced by
hospitals and clinics in French-speaking Switzerland
– The evolution of the profession and the federal certificate from 2028 onwards
This first part will thus provide an opportunity to compare different realities on the ground and open up the
discussion on the profession of the future.

2. Accuracy and quality of coding
What do we actually mean by ‘quality coding’? How can we agree on a
definition of ‘quality’ and, subsequently, how might we make use of tools
to objectively assess and recognise the quality of the work carried out by coding professionals?
The discussion will focus in particular on the different levels of accuracy, complex situations and
areas of interpretation, as well as on processes for review, quality control and the sharing of expertise.
Discussion and review of concrete case studies, along with a reflection on shared decision-making
and quality control.
Kirsten Drohla-Dietrich from KodeMed will present the new coding tool, details of its roll-out
for 2027 and some tips on how to make the best use of it for precision coding.

3. News and other reflections for the profession
Finally, if these developments really did reduce the workload and free up time for
coders, where could we put our specific expertise to good use?
As a team leader, how could I help maximise value for my
organisation by making the best use of my team’s time?
As a member of a coding team, what responsibilities could I take on to make
my job even more attractive, thanks to the time freed up by these tools?
Various representatives from professions directly linked to medical coding will present their roles
and the benefits that a closer and different form of collaboration with coders could bring:
– Patient Journey Manager
– Medical Cost Control
– Performance Management
– Coding Review