Single Path Coding: Optimizing Your Coding Workforce for 2026

As hospitals and health systems enter 2026, healthcare leaders face mounting pressure:   tight labor markets, increasing clinical documentation complexity, and  unprecedented changes to the physician fee schedule payment regulations. Coding teams are essential to revenue cycle performance, yet staffing shortages, turnover, and burnout threaten both accuracy and productivity. 

While many hospitals still maintain separate facility and professional coding teams, the  benefits of Single Path Coding go beyond operational efficiency, they help organizations stabilize their workforce, reduce stress, and plan for future challenges. 

Hospitals employ numerous physicians and other qualified healthcare professionals (QHPs), and accurate coding for their services is essential to proper billing and revenue. Traditionally, hospitals split coding responsibilities between: 

This separation can lead to workflow redundancies, claim delays, and coding inconsistencies. In a tight labor market, these inefficiencies can cause coding backlogs –, reduce productivity, and make retention more challenging. 

Single Path Coding (also called Dual Coding) combines facility and professional coding into a single workflow handled by one coder. Beyond streamlining processes, this approach optimizes workforce resilience: 

By simplifying workflows and giving coders greater ownership of the process, Single Path Coding creates a more engaged and stable workforce. 

Implementing Single Path Coding opens new career paths for existing staff: 

This investment in coding specialists’ development improves retention, enhances job satisfaction, and reduces turnover. Tools like TruBridge Encoder Technology support upskilling by providing  knowledge-based coding guidance, integrated code references, and cloud-based access—all at the point of coding. Coders can confidently take on expanded responsibilities while maintaining accuracy and compliance. 

A high-quality Single Path Coding program requires clear policies and comprehensive training. Hospitals should consider: 

This structured approach ensures coders are confident, reduces errors, and minimizes disruptions to the revenue cycle. 

Not all departments need to transition simultaneously. TruBridge recommends using data to identify high-volume areas or specialty services. For example, Emergency Department encounters may be a first-phase target. Phased implementation of the Single Path Coding program allows coders to adapt gradually and maintain quality while simultaneously meeting productivity standards. 

While Single Path Coding streamlines facility and professional coding workflows, pairing it with the right tools amplifies the benefits. TruBridge Encoder Technology offers: 

This combination of workflow innovation and intelligent technology equips hospitals to manage staffing challenges, complex documentation, and financial pressures in 2026 and beyond. 

Single Path Coding is more than an operational improvement — it’s a strategic approach to workforce stability. By consolidating coding responsibilities, upskilling staff, and leveraging modern tools like TruBridge Encoder Technology, hospitals can reduce redundancies, improve efficiency, and strengthen their revenue cycle. 

Request a TruBridge demo and receive our 140-page Single Path Coding Upskilling Toolkit. Learn how to implement a unified coding workflow, upskill your team, reduce denials, and build workforce resilience for 2026 and beyond.