Abstract
In general, the ICD may be defined as the standard diagnostic tool used internationally for health management, epidemiology, and clinical purposes. Designed, maintained, and published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ICD-10 maps various health conditions to their corresponding generic categories with relation to specific variations through the assignment of designated codes (Hirsch et al., 2016). That is why major categories include similar health issues to facilitate search. Along with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding system for medical procedures, it became an essential part of the health care system of the United States (Hirsch et al., 2016). It aims to provide international comparability in data collection classification, processing, and presentation.
Mobile Application
ICD-10: Codes of Diseases is an official application that contains the updated tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) available for Android and Apple devices. Although the classification was elaborated and approved by the WHO, the downloaded mobile application was created by Sanca Ventures. According to the developer, the mobile app is officially related to ICD.Codes (“Home”, n.d.). The ICD is endorsed and accepted by the governments of WHO member States, however, the information concerning the licensure of the app is not presented. At the same time, all data accessible in the app correspond to information from other resources dedicated to the ICD-10. In general, both mobile and web-based platforms are suitable for the ICD-10 app as they may be characterized by comfortable search and browsing of codes, diseases, chapters, blocks, and categories. However, the mobile platform may be more beneficial in situations when an individual needs access to information outside. The size of the device’s screen does not limit or degrade the use of the app. Moreover, the mobile app does not require an Internet connection.
As it was previously mentioned, the ICD-10 mobile app is highly uncomplicated to navigate as all information is displayed affordably. Users may search the ICD code by the disease description and the opposite way. Moreover, they may browse all ICD-10 codes, chapters, categories, and blocks. All codes are initially presented in alphabetic order, and any person may start to work with the app without instructions.
In a wide range, the ICD is traditionally applied for the analysis of the population groups’ general health situation and control over the prevalence and incidence of diseases. In addition, the ICD is used for the classification of diseases and health problems in various types of vital and health records, including patients’ health records in hospitals and death certificates. As a classification system for appropriate health care delivery, the ICD classifies diseases and includes the nuanced systematization of a substantial variety of signs, complaints, symptoms, social circumstances, abnormal findings, and specific external causes of illness or injury. Moreover, the ICD is used at the international level for mortality and morbidity statistics, automated decision support for nurse practitioners, and reimbursement systems.
The mobile app designed for nurse practitioners and students provides instant access to the ICD at any location having any Android or Apple device. In general, ICD has a highly positive impact on decision-making in the nursing practice. It provides accurate health care data that helps to describe patients’ conditions and their severity for effective health care delivery and treatment in the future. In addition, ICD codes are highly essential for health care providers to ensure that accurate and reliable patient data is gathered for patient care, clinical research, strategic planning, education, peer review, and quality assurance.
As the app does not require the input and storage of patient data, its implementation and use are safe for them. According to the app’s privacy policy, users’ information may be used “for a variety of purposes, including improving the website and contacting them about the products or services they explicitly registered for” (“Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for ICD.Codes,” n.d., para. 16). In addition, personal information may be shared with third parties for the improvement of service quality without its display on social networks (“Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for ICD.Codes,” n.d.). The mobile ICD-10 app is accessible worldwide, and it is intended for health care providers and students as it contains restricted professional information. However, according to the app’s policy, it cannot replace a licensed specialist, and it does not guarantee the credibility of information that may be used (“Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for ICD.Codes,” n.d.). The last update of the app was on June 13, 2017, and that is why the information cannot be regarded as current regardless of its correspondence with the WHO ICD-10 The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
Practical Application of ICD-10 in Clinical Settings
In the present day, the ICD-10’s level of complexity substantively contributes to the efficiency of clinical and nursing practices. The 10th revision includes almost 70,000 codes that are more detailed in comparison with the previous version that was designed for clinicians in the United States since the 1970s (Horsky et al., 2017). The ICD-10 facilitates reporting and documenting causes of morbidity and mortality and improves the ability of physicians and health care providers to identify and manage various clinical processes by detecting changes in medication treatment. In addition, the system of the ICD helps to monitor data for preventive care purposes and health maintenance. In turn, more accurate and highly granular data are indispensable for the detection of healthcare fraud, the development of patient safety criteria and public health initiatives, the improvement of clinical performance, and medical research (Horsky et al., 2017). Moreover, codes are used to identify the peculiarities of health conditions to prevent health care and treatment mistakes.
For instance, an adult (30-years-old female) with diabetes mellitus attends a hospital. However, there are several types of diabetes mellitus – insulin-dependent, non-insulin-dependent, malnutrition-related, other specified, and unspecified. In addition, all these types may be presented with different additional complications – with renal, ophthalmic, neurological, peripheral circulatory complications, coma, or ketoacidosis. Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy requires specific treatment as well. With the help of a medical examination, the patient was diagnosed with non-insulin-dependent diabetes with renal complications. However, if this diagnosis does not specify with the certain code in the hospital’s EHR system by the patient’s clinicians or another professional in charge, the appropriate medication treatment, and health care will not be prescribed (Horsky et al., 2017). The ICD-10 helps physicians and heal care professionals to differentiate between multiple types of diseases and mark the appropriate condition with a suitable code to avoid mistakes in the future.
References
Hirsch, J. A., Nicola, G., McGinty, G., Liu, R. W., Barr, R. M., Chittle, M. D., & Manchikanti, L. (2016). ICD-10: History and context. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 37(4), 596-599.
Home. (n.d.). ICD.Codes. Web.
Horsky, J., Drucker, E. A., & Ramelson, H. Z. (2017). Accuracy and completeness of clinical coding using ICD-10 for ambulatory visits. AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings Archive, 2017, 912-920.
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for ICD.Codes. (n.d.). ICD.Codes.