Benefits to public health of the new coding sets
Although the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS codes sets will be a major change, there are significant advantages that the new coding system has over ICD-9-CM. Some noteworthy benefits include:
Easier comparison of mortality and morbidity data
Currently, the U.S. is the only industrialized nation still utilizing ICD-9-CM codes for morbidity data, though we have already transitioned to ICD-10 for mortality. This severely limits direct comparison of U.S. morbidity diagnosis data to U.S. state and national mortality data, as well as limits international disease comparability. When the U.S. transitions to ICD-10 code sets for morbidity and procedures it will enable more direct comparability of U.S. morbidity data with U.S. mortality data, and it will also allow comparison of U.S. morbidity data with international morbidity data.
Improved quality of data
The granularity of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS is vastly improved over ICD-9-CM and will enable greater specificity in identifying health conditions. It also provides better data for measuring and tracking health care utilization and the quality of patient care. The greater level of detail in the new code sets includes laterality, severity, and complexity of disease conditions, which will enable more precise identification and tracking of specific conditions. Terminology and disease classification are now consistent with new technology and current clinical practice.
Injuries, poisonings and external causes are much more detailed in ICD-10-CM, including the severity of injuries, and how and where injuries happened. Extensions are also used to provide additional information for many injury codes.
Pregnancy trimester is designated for ICD-10-CM codes in the pregnancy, delivery and puerperium chapter.
Postoperative codes are expanded and now distinguish between intraoperative and post-procedural complications.
There are new concepts that did not exist in ICD-9-CM, such as:
- under dosing
- blood type
- the Glasgow Coma Scale
- alcohol level