THE Association of Health Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) will be hosting an International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems (ICD) workshop in Harare next month in a bid to improve understanding of technology and its use in the health sector in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
By Michael Gwarisa
The workshop will run from 14 to 15 March at Cresta Lodge in Harare and will see various delegates from within and outside Zimbabwe gracing the occasion.
AHFoZ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shylet Sanyanga told an AHFoZ Extra Ordinary general meeting that the meeting would improve health sector’s performance through promoting international comparability in the collection, processing, classification, and presentation of statistics.
“The ICD-6, published in 1949, was the first to be shaped to become suitable for morbidity reporting.
“ICD10- International Classification of Diseases(ICD) is a W.H.O classification of diseases 10th edition( endorsed by W.H.O in 1990). The W. H.O has now introduced the 11th edition namely ICD11, though ICD10 is still widely used. AHFoZ and the entire healthcare sector needed to start from a solid base that has been tried and tested, hence decision to embrace ICD10 which can be upgraded to ICD11,” said Sanyanga.
ICD10 coding is diagnostic coding and does not replace procedure coding which is currently catered for under the ZRVS. ICD10 codes will work together with procedure coding ( i.e. ZRVS). Unlike diagnostic coding , procedure coding structures differ .
“There are various procedure coding lists in use world over, these include ZRVS, NHRPL, the CPT and others. The W.H.O is working on a uniform procedure coding; the International Classification of World Interventions(ICHI). Once finalised ICHI coding may be used by member states for procedure coding.”
Some of the benefits of using ICD 10 coding include measuring the quality, safety and efficacy of care., Designing payment systems and processing claims for reimbursement, Conducting research, epidemiological studies, and clinical trials, Managing Fraud Waste and Abuse, Ease of compiling statistics, Manage healthcare and planning appropriate resource allocation, Monitor outcomes – this where the world is moving to. (including the Zimbabwean Government) and Ease of international comparisons.
