Postcoordination of codes in ICD-11

Abstract

A new coding feature introduced with ICD-11, the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), is postcoordination, which supports combining (linking) two or more codes into a cluster that describes a clinical concept. Postcoordination allows for coded data to be reported to a greater level of specificity than was possible in previous version of ICD. The linked codes are kept together in a cluster when submitted for reporting. This article presents background detail on the postcoordination feature in ICD and the postcoordination tool. Also presented are several examples that demonstrate the flexibility that ICD-11 provides for enriching coded health information.