News: WHO set to release ICD-11 in June after multiple delays

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to release the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD-11, on June 1. The coding system is unlikely to affect U.S. healthcare systems in the near term, as ICD-10 took decades from initial release until implementation here, Revenue Cycle Advisor reported.

The US will still need to work through the codes for clinical modification. For the rest of the world, field testing of the new system is planned to take place between June 1, 2018, and March 21, 2019, although these dates are subject to change, according to a WHO Collaborating Centre, NHS Digital.

According to the WHO, ICD-11 will include improved structuring of definitions, signs and symptoms, and other information on related diseases so they can be reported more accurately. Codes will consist of alphanumeric characters, beginning with numerals and containing four, rather than three characters, before the decimal point, according to Revenue Cycle Advisor.

ICD-11 will also function as an electronic database, compatible with EHRs and free to download in several different languages.

All potential updates to the classification system can be found in the WHO’s ICD-11 beta draft, updated by the organization daily. Training videos were recently uploaded to the site, reviewing the browser’s features and instructions for contributing to the development of ICD-11.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Revenue Cycle Advisor. For information regarding the release of ICD-11, click here. For further information regarding expectations, concerns, and issues surrounding the release of ICD-11, visit the WHO website here.