ICD-11—Adapting ICD to the 21st century

Abstract

In addition to medical innovations, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) addresses the changing needs of digitized healthcare systems. This article describes the concept and developmental structure of the ICD-11. The new technical structure of the ICD-11 allows for a considerably simplified use of the classification and at the same time significantly improves the ability to record individual health conditions at the desired level of detail. The integration of the entire contents and structural information of the ICD-11 in an ontologically organized all-encompassing structure, the so called “foundation”, in combination with the connected online platforms is a step into the future. It simplifies translation and maintenance of the classification and considerably improves consistency, especially between language versions. The foundation also permits the production of use-specific versions, so called linearisations, that facilitate the application of ICD by the relevant user groups. The ICD-11 allows versioning-safe documentation using a unique character string, the unique reference identifier. The ICD-11 has been designed for the current de facto use cases. The content of ICD-11 has been updated and linked to other classifications and terminologies. These innovations enable up-to-date documentation of relevant health information in all areas, aggregation of data and the analysis of examination of interrelationships in health.