The delay of ICD11 is a Positive, But Wait, What about ICD10?

The 11th version, ICD-11, is now being prepared. The development phase will continue for three years and ICD-11 will be finalized in 2017. 

What is different for this version of ICD is that for the first time since its formation in 1948, public health users, stakeholders and others may be involved with what data it includes, thanks to technology. Comments, verified by peers, will be added throughout the revision period. WHO welcomes this broad participation in the 11th revision and hopes the final classification will meet the needs of all health information users. Those wishing to participate may do so from this page on the WHO website.

What about ICD-10 you ask?

One the other hand, SearchHealthIT reported that the U.S. House of Representatives voted March 28, 2014 on the bill, H.R 4302, which includes the delay of ICD-10 implementation for ‘at least a year.’ The senate will vote on it next. This is creating quite a mixed reaction from various medical officials.

…if the Senate and President go along with the plan — ICD-9 will remain the diagnosis coding language in U.S. healthcare until October 2015 and perhaps beyond. 

The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CEO, John Halamka, MD, called the delay a late “distraction.” He is more concerned about the reimbursement issue for Medicare treatments. Former American Medical Association (AMA) chair, Steven Stack, M.D., said that the AMA is not against ICD-10, as he believes version 9 is obsolete, but it includes so many codes and there are only a few physicians that will use the majority of them, such as emergency physicians. His concern over the events are that:

“The ICD-10 issue is a legitimate concern; we need to address it,” Stack said. “[I don’t know] why it got mixed into a bill that had nothing to do with the merits of ICD-10 — it was a blurring of issues.”

Another response by Adam Landman, M.D., a medical information officer for Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, is that software, and the ability to use medical coding companies, will help the average physician deal with quantity of data. There are a number of hospitals who have invested large amounts of money to be ready for the implementation of ICD10. This delay was most upsetting to them.

As you can see, there is a lot that is happening—and a lot of wait and see. ICD-10 will eventually come about, but exactly when is anybody’s guess. We will be ready when it does.