Health Policy Basics: Implementation of the International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision.

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) standardizes diagnostic codes into meaningful criteria to enable the storage and retrieval of information regarding patient care. Whereas other countries have been using ICD, 10th Revision (ICD-10), for years, the United States will transition from ICD, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), to ICD-10, on 1 October 2015. This transition is one of the largest and most technically challenging changes that the medical community has experienced in the past several decades. This article outlines the implications of moving to ICD-10 and recommends resources to facilitate the transition.