Implementation of the Polish version of the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11): importance for oncology

Abstract

Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO), after several years of joint review, approved and implemented the update of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) in May 2019. Usually, the abbreviated name ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision) is used. The new version was created in fully digital form with a search easy-to-use search engine available to every user. Many changes were introduced, and the most important is the redesign of the coding system to adapt it for digital use. ICD-11 codes are divided into main and supplementary codes. Main codes are at least 4 characters long, and 2 levels of extensions, up to 7 characters, are possible. In Poland, the entire process of implementing the ICD-11 is carried out as part of a project coordinated by the Medical Center for Postgraduate Education in cooperation with the Department of Healthcare of the Ministry of Health and the e-Health Center The implementation of the new version and the official introduction of ICD-11 in Poland must be preceded primarily by the amendment of legal acts (laws and regulations) and orders of the President of the National Health Fund, such as those regarding the reimbursement for refunded services and the keeping of medical records. An important element is the change in the cluster codes in oncology. Selected oncology groups were based on analyses of international reports on morbidity, mortality, cancer registries, and clinical reports. Cluster 02, which deals with cancer, contains 8 subsections detailing disease states associated with abnormal or uncontrolled cell proliferation. This article summarizes and discusses the most important changes in ICD-11, along with providing an introduction to the classification rules in the coding system and individual subsections on cancer.