LEARN
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for worldwide use in translating the narrative descriptions of diseases, injuries and procedures contained in medical records into alphanumeric codes.
In Australia the classification system is ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision Australian Modification Australian Classification of Health Interventions and Australian Coding Standards)
Clinical coding is a health administration function that involves the translation of written clinical statements into a code format. A clinical coder will analyse information about an episode of patient care and assign standardized codes using a classification system. For example, acute appendicitis is represented by the code ‘K35.8′.
For coding diagnoses, most nations use the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10), developed by the World Health Organization. The standardized codes used in Australia are defined in the ICD-10 AM, which is a customized Australian modification. Other countries have also adopted the Australian coding framework, such as The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whereas its neighbouring country, The United Arab Emirates, has adopted the U.S framework known as ICD-10 CM. Nations wishing to code procedures/surgery have had to develop their own classification for procedures, or purchase a procedural classification from another nation. Australia, Britain, the USA and Canada have all developed their own classification for procedures.
What Does a Clinical Coder Do?
A clinical coder is responsible for deciding which diagnoses and procedures found in medical records meet the criteria for coding according to relevant standards. The coder then assigns codes and procedures for these diagnoses based on ICD-10 AM or CM conventions and standards. Clinical coding is a specialised skill that requires knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, disease processes and analytical skills.
The data produced represents an integral part of health information management and is used for a variety of reasons, including:
In many countries, including Australia, the assigned codes and other patient data are also processed by software to determine a Diagnosis Related Group for the episode of care. This can then be used for funding and reimbursement. This process allows hospital episodes to be grouped into meaningful categories, helping professionals to better match patient needs to health care resources.
Education will be delivered to the following countries in the edition shown:
Australia – 10th edition
Fiji – 4th edition
Hong Kong – 6th edition
Ireland – 8th edition
New Zealand – 8th edition
Qatar – 7th edition
Saudi Arabia – 6th edition
Singapore – 6th edition
Tonga – 4th edition
Total course: 80 hours
Course objectives:
After completing ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS clinical coding course you should be familiar with the structure and organisation of the five volumes of ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS understand the conventions and instructions used in ICD-10-AM, ACHI and ACS.
Course Content:
The coursework consists of fifteen modules. Modules 1 to 14 have an accompanying assessment. The modules contain plenty of examples and ample opportunity for practicing coding. Module 15 is revision.
