WHO. ICD 11 is here!
WHO. ICD 11 is here!
This week WHO released a new version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The ICD is the bedrock for health statistics. It maps the human condition from birth to death: any injury or disease we encounter in life − and anything we might die of − is coded.
Over a decade in the making, this completely electronic version of the ICD reflects progress in medicine and advances in scientific understanding.
New chapters have been added on traditional medicine and sexual health, and “gaming disorder” has been added to the section on addictive disorders.
Crucially, in a world of 7.4 billion people speaking nearly 7000 languages, the ICD provides a common vocabulary for recording, reporting and monitoring health problems. Fifty years ago, it would be unlikely that a disease such as schizophrenia would be diagnosed similarly in Japan, Kenya and Brazil. Now, however, if a doctor in another country cannot read a person’s medical records, they will know what the ICD code means. (WHO, Genf, 18.06.2018)