ICD-10

ICD-10 is the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision developed, published and distributed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

ICD-10 was endorsed by the Forty-third World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in WHO Member States as from 1994. The classification is the latest in a series which has its origins in the 1850s. The first edition, known as the International List of Causes of Death, was adopted by the International Statistical Institute in 1893. WHO took over the responsibility for the ICD at its creation in 1948 when the Sixth Revision, which included causes of morbidity for the first time, was published. The World Health Assembly adopted in 1967 the WHO Nomenclature Regulations that stipulate use of ICD in its most current revision for mortality and morbidity statistics by all Member States (WHO link http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/index.html).

ICD-10 consists of three hard copy volumes:

Volume 1 is the Tabular list, which is an alphanumeric listing of diseases and disease groups, along with inclusion and exclusion notes and some coding rules.

Volume 2 provides:

• introduction to and instructions on how to use volumes 1 and 3
• guidelines for certification and rules in mortality coding
• guidelines for recording and coding morbidity coding

Volume 3 is the comprehensive Alphabetical index of the diseases and conditions found in the Tabular list.

ICD-10 can be viewed on line here.

Further information about ICD-10 history, implementation, other versions of ICD-10 and other WHO health classifications can be found here.

WHO Member States can, under WHO guidelines, modify ICD-10 to support the national collection of data relevant to their population's health. The ICD-10-AM is the Australian Modification of the ICD-10.