International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Relate...

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) is an internationally recognized system for coding diseases, signs and symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or diseases. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) , the ICD aims to provide a standardized system for the classification of health conditions, to facilitate the collection and analysis of health information globally.

Overview[edit | edit source]

World Health Organization Headquarters, Geneva

The ICD has become the international standard for defining and reporting diseases and health conditions. It allows for the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation, and comparison of mortality and morbidity data collected in different countries or regions and at different times. The ICD is revised periodically to incorporate changes in the medical field, and the latest version is ICD-11, which was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2019 and came into effect on January 1, 2022.

History[edit | edit source]

The history of the ICD dates back to the 19th century when the need for international classification of diseases became apparent for statistical purposes. The first international classification edition, known as the International List of Causes of Death, was adopted in 1893. Over the years, the scope of the classification has expanded to include not only causes of death but also the classification of diseases and health-related issues.

Structure[edit | edit source]

The ICD is structured in a hierarchical manner, with codes for diseases and health-related problems. These codes allow for easy storage, retrieval, and analysis of health information for evidence-based decision-making. The codes are updated regularly to reflect advances in medical knowledge.

Applications[edit | edit source]

The ICD is used by physicians, nurses, other healthcare providers, researchers, health information managers and coders, policymakers, insurers, and patient organizations around the world. Its applications include monitoring the incidence and prevalence of diseases, observing reimbursements and resource allocation trends, and providing a basis for health care guidelines.

Challenges and Future Directions[edit | edit source]

The implementation of ICD codes, particularly the transition between revisions, poses challenges including training, software updates, and data continuity. Future directions for the ICD may involve greater use of technology, such as electronic health records, to facilitate the real-time and more accurate coding of diseases.

References[edit | edit source]

WHO: Classification of Diseases - World Health Organization's page on the Classification of Diseases.
ICD-11 Browser - Official WHO ICD-11 Browser.

External Links[edit | edit source]

World Health Organization - Official website.
ICD-11 Online Browser - Access to the online ICD-11 browser.

International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Relate... Resources
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