Extension to timeline official: ICD-11 rescheduled for 2017

Post #292 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3H9

Update at February 8, 2014: ICD Revision has now updated its Timeline page:

May 2017 Present the ICD-11 to the World Health Assembly”

ICD-11_20177

In the last day or so, edited text on two WHO webpages confirms a decision by ICD Revision to postpone release of ICD-11 by a further two years, from 2015 to 2017.

From WHO site: “The International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision is due by 2017”

Also ICD Information Sheet: “…The development phase will continue for three years and ICD-11 will be finalized in 2017.”

And from a note accompanying a slide presentation: “…Now ICD 11 is scheduled in 2017 and ICD-10-CM can be made as a National Linearization.” Bedirhan Üstün, January 29, 2014 [1]

ICD-11 Revision has yet to issue a formal announcement or news release or update its Timeline page to reflect this decision.

There are no reports on the revised schedule on ICD-11 on Facebook or Twitter @WHOICD11 – all very low key.

Delaying the release of ICD-11 has been under consideration for several months.

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Slipping targets

The development process for ICD-11 began in April 2007, with ICD-11 scheduled for dissemination by 2012 and the timelines for the development of ICD-11 and DSM-5 running more or less in parallel [2,3].

Early on in the revision process, the ICD-11 dissemination date was extended. By 2009, the final draft was scheduled for World Health Assembly (WHA) approval in 2014. The WHA approval date was subsequently shunted to 2015 – four years later than originally planned.

ICD-11 is now scheduled for finalization in 2017.

Rationales for extending the timeline:

Pages 8-10: Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, Twenty-second Session 4-6 September 2013, Items for discussion and decision: Item 8 of the provisional agenda, 3 September 2013 [4].

Slide presentation, Bedirhan Üstün, September 9-10, 2013, Slides 29-35: [5].

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Related reports from Dx Revision Watch

January 22, 2014: WHO Collaborating Centre confirms Revision Steering Group seriously considering extension to ICD-11 timeline: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3E8

September 15, 2013: WHO considers further extension to ICD-11 development timeline: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3sc

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References

1. Slideshare: AHIMA ICD-10 ICD-11 switch to ICD-10-CM in the USA, presentation note, Bedirhan Üstün, Coordinator at World Health Organization, January 29, 2014

2. Agenda Item No. 25: Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and Involvement of Psychology International Union of Psychological Science Committee on International Relations Action, March 28–30, 2008
IUPsyS Mar 08 Agenda Item 25 ICD-10

3. Letter Saxena, WHO, to Ritchie, IUPsyS (International Union for Psychological Science), August 2007
Exhibit 1 WHO Letter Aug 07

4. Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, Twenty-second Session 4-6 September 2013, Items for discussion and decision: Item 8 of the provisional agenda, 3 September 2013, Pages 8-10:
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/accsub/2013docs-22nd/SA-2013-12-Add1-Health-WHO.pdf

5. Slide presentation: ICD Revision: Where are we? Bedirhan Üstün, World Health Organization Classifications, Terminologies, Standards, ICD Revision: Quality Safety Meeting 2013, September 9-10, 2013, Slides 29-35:
http://www.slideshare.net/ustunb/icd-2013-qs-tag-260276686

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: ICD-11 Beta draft: Definition added for “Bodily distress disorder”

Post #291 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3Gl

Update on February 2, 2014:

Since publishing my report, below, the Chapter 5 parent class:

“Bodily distress disorders, and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere”

has been reverted by ICD-11 Revision to read, “Bodily distress disorders”.

The category, 5C70 Psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere [F54 in ICD-10], which had been, and remains listed as an Exclusion to class “Bodily distress disorders”, is now coded towards the end of the list of Chapter 5 Mental and behavioural disorders categories, rather than listed as a hierarchical child category under:

“Bodily distress disorders, and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere”.

Note that the Definition and Inclusions for “5C70 Psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere” are legacy text carried over from ICD-10. The Fxx codes listed under “Exclusions” for this category have not yet been updated to reflect the new ICD-11 coding structure.

This section of Chapter 5 now displays as in this screenshot, immediately below, when viewed in the ICD-11 Beta drafting platform Foundation View, at February, 2, 2014:

http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd11/browse/f/en#/http%3a%2f%2fid.who.int%2ficd%2fentity%2f1472866636

BDD at 02.02.14

A change also for Hypochondriasis – which has also been removed from under parent class, Bodily distress disorders, and is currently assigned dual parentage under: Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders; and Anxiety and fear-related disorders.

This means that the only categories currently coded under parent term “Bodily distress disorders” (previously, “Bodily distress disorders, and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere”) are “Bodily distress disorder” and “Severe bodily distress disorder

Update on February 1, 2014:

In June 2013, Prof David Goldberg co-authored a paper: Bodily distress syndrome (BDS): the evolution from medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in Mental Health in Family Medicine. Co-author, Gabriel Ivbijaro, is Editor in Chief, Mental Health in Family Medicine and a past Chair of the Wonca Working Party on Mental Health. Mental Health in Family Medicine is the official journal of The World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca) Working Party on Mental Health. I don’t have access to this paper, which is currently embargoed, but it should be free in PMC on June 1, 2014 [5].

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BDDJan_28_14

Screenshot: Chapter 5, ICD-11 Beta drafting platform, public version: January 29, 2014

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Between a Rock and a Hard Place

A definition for “Bodily distress disorder” has very recently been entered into the public version of the ICD-11 Beta drafting platform by ICD-11 Revision.

You can view the definition text, as it stands at January 29, in the public version of the Beta drafting platform, here:

Joint Linearization for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics view

Bodily distress disorder

Parent(s)

Bodily distress disorders, and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere

Definition

Bodily distress disorder is characterized by high levels of preoccupation regarding bodily symptoms, unusually frequent or persistent medical help-seeking, and avoidance of normal activities for fear of damaging the body. These features are sufficiently persistent and distressing to lead to impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The most common symptoms include pain (including musculoskeletal and chest pains, backache, headaches), fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and respiratory symptoms, although patients may be preoccupied with any bodily symptoms. Bodily distress disorder most commonly involves multiple bodily symptoms, though some cases involve a single very bothersome symptom (usually pain or fatigue).

All Index Terms

  • Bodily distress disorder

Or here, in the Beta Foundation view

—————-

Only the ICD-11 Short (100 word) Definition for this proposed new ICD category has been inserted. At this point, no Inclusion Terms, Exclusions, Synonyms, Narrower Terms, Diagnostic Criteria or other potential Content Model descriptors have been populated.

No Definition or severity characteristics have yet been assigned to Severe bodily distress disorder to differentiate between the two coded severities: “Bodily distress disorder” and “Severe bodily distress disorder.” (Unique codes for a “Mild bodily distress disorder” and a “Moderate bodily distress disorder” were dropped in mid 2013.)

In order to place this development into context here are some notes:

It’s important to understand that there are two working groups reporting to the International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders that are charged with making recommendations on the revision of the Somatoform Disorders for the primary care version and core version of ICD-11:

The 12 member Primary Care Consultation Group (PCCG) leads the development and field testing of the revision of all 28 mental and behavioural disorders for inclusion in the next ICD primary care classification (ICD-11-PHC), an abridged version of the core ICD classification. The PCCG is chaired by Prof Sir David Goldberg. Per Fink’s colleague, Marianne Rosendal, is a member of this group.

The 17 member Expert Working Group on Somatic Distress and Dissociative Disorders (S3DWG) is advising on the revision of ICD-10’s Somatoform Disorders. The S3DWG is chaired by Prof Oye Gureje. DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorder work group member, Prof Francis Creed, is a member of this group.

In 2011, the Primary Care Consultation Group’s proposals for a replacement for the “Unexplained somatic symptoms/medically unexplained symptoms” category were put out for review and evaluation in primary care settings to nine  international focus groups* in seven countries [1].

*Austria, Brazil, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Pakistan, Tanzania and United Kingdom.

The PCCG anticipated refining their recommendations in the light of focus group responses before progressing to field testing the new disorder.

New disorders that survive the primary care field tests must have an equivalent disorder in the main ICD-11 classification.

Since any new primary care disorder concept will need to integrate into the ICD-11 core version, one might expect some cross-group collaboration between these two advisory committees.

But in their respective 2012 journal papers, the groups presented divergent constructs and neither group refers to the work being undertaken by the other group, or sets out how the two groups relate to each other, or how the primary care group relates to the overall revision process for the Somatoform Disorders.

The specific tasks of the S3DWG include, among others:

“3. To provide drafts of the content (e.g. definitions, descriptions, diagnostic guidelines) for somatic distress and dissociative disorder categories in line with the overall ICD revision requirements.

“4. To propose entities and descriptions that are needed for classification of somatic distress and dissociative disorders in different types of primary care settings, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.”

It is unclear how ICD-11 Revision is co-ordinating the input from the two groups, that is, will it be the PCCG’s revised recommendations that progress to field testing, this year, and if so, how would a divergent set of proposals, developed in parallel by the S3DWG group, relate to the field testing and to the overall revision of the SDs?

Or, will ICD-11 Revision require the PCCG group and the S3DWG group to agree on what to call any proposed, single disorder replacement for six or seven SD categories and to reach consensus over what construct, definition, characteristics and criteria will go forward to ICD-11 field testing, and if so, has consensus now been reached?

Field tests are expected to start this year. Currently, there is no publicly available information on the finalized characteristics, diagnostic guidelines, criteria, inclusions, exclusions, differential diagnoses etc. that are planned to be used for the field tests which would provide the level of detail lacking in this Beta draft definition.

It has been crafted with sufficient elasticity to allow either group’s construct to be shoehorned into it.

ICD-11 Revision is possibly hedging its bets depending on the outcome of its field tests. But the devil’s in the detail and without the detail, it isn’t clear whether this definition describes the construct favoured by the S3DWG in late 2012, or by the PCCG in mid 2012, or a more recent revision by one of the groups, or a compromise between the two.

The definition wording is based – in some places verbatim – on the construct descriptions presented in the Gureje, Creed (S3DWG) “Emerging themes…” paper, published in late 2012 [2].

Extract, Creed F, Gureje O. Emerging themes in the revision of the classification of somatoform disorders. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2012:

“…At the time of preparing this review, a major highlight of the proposals of the S3DWG for the revision of the ICD-10 somatoform disorders is that of subsuming all of the ICD-10 categories of F45.0 – F45.9 and F48.0 under a single category with a new name of ‘bodily distress disorder’ (BDD).

“In the proposal, BDD is defined as ‘A disorder characterized by high levels of preoccupation related to bodily symptoms or fear of having a physical illness with associated distress and impairment. The features include preoccupation with bothersome bodily symptoms and their significance, persistent fears of having or developing a serious illness or unreasonable conviction of having an undetected physical illness, unusually frequent or persistent medical help-seeking and avoidance of normal activities for fear of damaging the body. These features are sufficiently persistent and distressing to lead to impairment of functioning or frequent seeking of reassurance.'”

This 2012 paper goes on to say that the S3DWG’s emerging proposals specify a much simplified set of criteria for a diagnosis of Bodily distress disorder (BDD) that requires the presence of: 1. High levels of preoccupation with a persistent and bothersome bodily symptom or symptoms; or unreasonable fear, or conviction, of having an undetected physical illness; plus 2. The bodily symptom(s) or fears about illness are distressing and are associated with impairment of functioning.

And that in doing away with the “unreliable assumption of its causality” the diagnosis of BDD does not exclude the presence of depression or anxiety, or of a co-occurring physical health condition.

Which is a disorder construct into which DSM-5’s “Somatic Symptom Disorder” (SSD) could be integrated, thus facilitating harmonization between ICD-11 and DSM-5.

But without clarification from ICD-11 Revision (or further published papers, reports or sight of the field test protocol) I do not think one can safely extrapolate that it is the current proposals of the S3DWG group that are going forward to field testing, this year, in preference to a construct and criteria favoured by the PCCG group.

With the caveat that proposals by both groups are likely to have been modified since publication of their respective 2012 papers, or may have since converged into a consensus concept, to recap briefly:

In mid 2012, the Goldberg led PCCG primary care group was proposing a new term called “Bodily stress syndrome (BSS),” to replace ICD’s primary care category, “F45 Unexplained somatic symptoms.” This single BSS category would also absorb F48 Neurasthenia, which is proposed to be eliminated for ICD-11-PHC.

In late 2012, the S3DWG group was proposing to subsume the six ICD-10 categories F45.0 – F45.9, plus F48.0 Neurasthenia, under a single disorder category, but under the disorder name, “Bodily distress disorder” (BDD).

So at that point, the two groups differed on what term should be used for this new disorder.

The two group’s proposed constructs, criteria and exclusions also diverged, with the PCCG group incorporating characteristics of Fink et al’s “Bodily Distress Syndrome” [3] construct, and based on the “autonomic arousal” (or “over-arousal”) illness model, with symptom clusters or symptom patterns from one or more body systems, but also requiring some SSD-like psychobehavioural responses to meet the diagnosis. But, “If the symptoms are accounted for by a known physical disease this is not BSS.”

While the emerging proposals of the S3DWG group leaned more towards a “pure” DSM-5 SSD-like construct that could be diagnosed in patients with persistent “excessive” psychobehavioural responses to bodily symptoms in the presence of any diagnosed disease, patients with so-called “functional somatic syndromes” and patients with somatic symptoms of unclear etiology, but with no evident requirement for specific symptom counts, or for symptom clusters from one or more body systems or for the symptoms to be “medically unexplained.” [4]

What wasn’t explicitly set out in the PCCG’s 2012 paper was whether the group intended to mirror the Fink et al BDS construct to the extent of extending the diagnosis to be inclusive of the so-called “functional somatic syndromes,” FM, CFS and IBS (which are currently discretely coded or indexed within ICD-10 in chapters outside the mental and behavioural disorders chapter).

This 2013 paper, below, interprets that it is the intention of the Primary Care Consultation Group to capture FM, CFS and IBS:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24295235

Free PDF: http://www.uam.es/becarios/jbarrada/papers/hads.pdf

Psychol Assess. 2013 Dec 2. [Epub ahead of print] Bifactor Analysis and Construct Validity of the HADS: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study in Fibromyalgia Patients. Luciano JV, Barrada JR, Aguado J, Osma J, García-Campayo J.

“[…] In the upcoming primary healthcare version of the ICD-11 (ICD-11-PHC), FM will be classified as part of bodily stress syndrome (BSS; Lam et al., 2013). This new diagnosis will group patients who might have previously been considered different (e.g., those with FM, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and so on). Frontline clinicians (e.g., GPs) will need reliable tools to identify possible/probable clinical cases of anxiety (i.e., cognitive over-arousal) among patients with BSS who are characterised by elevated somatic over-arousal…”

Prof Tony Dowell, New Zealand, is a member of the PPCG. In this slide presentation Prof Dowell lists IBS, Fibromylagia and CFS under “Bodily Stress Syndromes.” Prof Dowell is already promoting the use of the BSS construct, in New Zealand, despite its current lack of validation:

Slide presentation

Slide 29

Bodily Stress Syndromes

• Gastroenterology – IBS, Non ulcer dyspepsia
• Rheumatology – Fibromyalgia
• Cardiology – Non cardiac chest pain
• Respiratory – hyperventilation
• Dental – TMJ syndrome
• Neurology – ‘headache’
• Gynaecology – chronic pelvic pain
• Psychiatry – somatiform [sic] disorders
• Chronic fatigue Syndrome

Reading the responses of the focus groups, as reported in the Lam et al paper [1], it is evident that some focus group participants understood the proposed BSS construct as a diagnosis under which IBS, Fibromylagia and CFS patients could potentially be assigned; though one of the New Zealand focus groups noted there was quite a strong feeling that CFS did not fit the paradigm as well as other [FSS] disorders, particularly when there was a good history of preceding viral infection.

Whilst a number of diseases are listed in the PCCG criteria, as proposed in 2012, under “Differential diagnoses,” including multiple sclerosis, hyperparathyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus and Lyme disease – IBS, Fibromylagia, CFS and ME are omitted from the list of “Differential diagnoses” examples.

In June 2013, Prof David Goldberg co-authored a paper: Bodily distress syndrome (BDS): the evolution from medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in Mental Health in Family Medicine. Co-author, Gabriel Ivbijaro, is Editor in Chief, Mental Health in Family Medicine and a past Chair of the Wonca Working Party on Mental Health. Mental Health in Family Medicine is the official journal of The World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca) Working Party on Mental Health.

I don’t have access to this paper, which is currently embargoed, but it should be free in PMC on June 1, 2014 [5].

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When viewing the Beta drafting platform, note that the descriptive text for the ICD-11 Beta draft parent term, “Bodily distress disorders, and psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases classified elsewhere,” which can be viewed here: ICD-11 Beta drafting platform Foundation view is the legacy text from the beginning of the ICD-10 Somatoform Disorders section (compare in ICD-10 here):

This F45 section introduction text has not yet been revised to reflect the proposed dismantling and reorganization of the ICD-10 Somatoform Disorders section for ICD-11.

Caveat: The ICD-11 Beta draft is not a static document – it is a work in progress, subject to daily revisions and refinements and to approval by the International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders, the ICD-11 Revision Steering Group, and WHO classification experts. Proposals for some new or revised disorders may be subject to re-evaluation and revision following ICD-11 field testing.

References:

1. Lam TP, Goldberg DP, Dowell AC, Fortes S, Mbatia JK, Minhas FA, Klinkman MS: Proposed new diagnoses of anxious depression and bodily stress syndrome in ICD-11-PHC: an international focus group study. Fam Pract Feb 2013 [Epub ahead of print July 2012]. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22843638 [Full text behind paywall]

2. Creed F, Gureje O. Emerging themes in the revision of the classification of somatoform disorders. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2012 Dec;24(6):556-67. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23244611 [Full text behind paywall]

3. Fink et al’s Bodily Distress Syndrome

Per Fink and colleagues are lobbying for their “Bodily Distress Syndrome” (BDS) construct to be integrated into forthcoming classification systems and adopted as a diagnosis by primary care practitioners. They propose the reclassification of the somatoform disorders, pain disorder, neurasthenia and the so-called functional somatic syndromes, including fibromyalgia (FM), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), under a single, unifying diagnosis, “Bodily Distress Syndrome,” already in use in clinical and research settings in Denmark.

4. BDS, BDDs, BSS, BDD unscrambled

5. Ivbijaro G, Goldberg D. Bodily distress syndrome (BDS): the evolution from medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Ment Health Fam Med. 2013 Jun;10(2):63-4. No abstract available. [PMID: 24427171] Currently embargoed: Free in PMC on June 1, 2014. PMC Archives

G Ivbijaro is Editor in Chief, Mental Health in Family Medicine and a past Chair of the Wonca Working Party on Mental Health. D Goldberg chairs the Primary Care Consultation Group (PCCG) leading the development and field testing of the next ICD primary care classification (ICD-11-PHC).

6. General information on ICD-11 Field Tests:

2012 Annual Report of the International Union of Psychological Science to the American Psychological Association Revision of World Health Organization’s ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders, Pierre L.-J. Ritchie, Ph.D, January, 2013, Pages 8-11

Click to access icd-report-2012.pdf

WHO ICD Revision Information Note: Field Trials, 23 January 2013

Click to access 15.Field_Trials.pdf

WHO Collaborating Centre confirms Revision Steering Group seriously considering extension to ICD-11 timeline

Post #289 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3E8

Update at January 30, 2014:

ICD-11 Revision has confirmed that a decision has now been taken to postpone ICD-11 by a further two years, from 2015 to 2017.

From WHO site: “The International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision is due by 2017”

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Information in this report relates to the development of the World Health Organization’s ICD-11. It does not apply to the forthcoming US specific, NCHS developed, clinical modification of ICD-10, known as ICD-10-CM.

Ustun 34

Source: Slide 34: Where are we? What remains to be done? Shall we have ICD WHA submission in 2015 or later? B Üstün, World Health Organization Classifications, Terminologies, Standards ICD Revision: Quality Safety Meeting, September 2013

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The December newsletter of the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications (FIC) in the Netherlands reports that ICD-11 Revision Steering Group (RSG) is reviewing options for a further extension to the ICD-11 development timeline [1]:

Newsletter on the WHO-FIC, Volume 11, Number 2, 2013, Latest News, Page 3 [PDF]

The Revision Steering Group and WHO Secretariat seriously consider amending the timeline of submitting the ICD-11 for endorsement by the World Health Assembly to allow more time for field testing in multiple countries and settings, and following up on resulting edits. WHO currently discusses options and scenarios with stakeholders.

This announcement from WHO-FIC’s Marijke de Kleijn-de Vrankrijker reinforces information and resources provided in my September report (WHO considers further extension to ICD-11 development timeline) – that ICD-11 Revision is failing to meet development targets and delaying submission of ICD-11 for WHA for approval until 2016, or alternatively, extending the timeline by a further two years, for WHA approval in 2017, is under consideration.

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ICD-11 already four years behind original targets

The revision of ICD-10 and development of the structure for ICD-11 began in 2007. WHO’s original goal had been to complete the revision and release of ICD-11 by 2011-12, Archived documents [2] [3].

By 2009, the date for submission of ICD-11 for WHA approval had been extended to 2014. The launch of the public version of the Beta drafting platform was later postponed from May 2011 to May 2012.

The current projection for submission of ICD-11 for approval to WHA is May 2015, with dissemination in 2015+ [4].

Mayo’s Christopher Chute, MD, chairs the ICD-11 Revision Steering Group. According to Chute, in this paper published in March 2012, publication of ICD-11 is “expected around 2016″:

Chute CG, Huff SM, Ferguson JA, Walker JM, Halamka JD. There Are Important Reasons For Delaying Implementation Of The New ICD-10 Coding System. Health Aff March 2012 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.1258
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ICD Revision considers its options

In September, WHO posted this meeting materials document [5] and this slide presentation [6]. The document summarized, inter alia, ICD-11’s progress, current development status, timelines for finalization date and approval by WHO Governing Bodies, and rationales and options for a further shift in the timeline.

You can read extracts from the document and view slides setting out the options currently under consideration in this report: WHO considers further extension to ICD-11 development timeline, selected of which I am appending to this post.

The earliest ICD-11 might be ready for dissemination is late 2015/16 – which may require some further scaling back of the project’s goals.

But if ICD-11 Revision Steering Group does elect to postpone submission for World Health Assembly approval until May 2017, dissemination of ICD-11 may not be viable before 2018.

I will update this post if and when WHO or ICD-11 Revision Steering Group publish a statement of clarification on the WHO website or issue a news release, or if other information becomes available that confirms a revision to the timeline.

Implementation date

I’ve noted some confusion in reporting and comments around ICD-11 approval by WHA and dissemination and implementation dates.

Unlike the U.S. specific ICD-10-CM, there is no mandatory date by which Member States must switch from using ICD-10 to ICD-11.

World Health Assembly adoption of ICD-11 and ICD-11 implementation dates are separate. WHA adoption enables official use for countries who wish to move on to the next edition. But Member States using ICD-10 will transition to the next version at their own convenience [6].

Once approved, prepared for implementation and released, global adoption of ICD-11 isn’t going to happen overnight. It may take several years before WHO Member States transition from ICD-10 to ICD-11. Low resource and developing countries may take longer to prepare for and transition to the new edition.

The annual update process for ICD-10 will continue during the creation of ICD-11.

Extracts from document [5] setting out the rationale and options for postponement of WHA Approval:

[…]

3. Progress and Current Status of ICD Revision:

[…]

BETA PHASE:

At this point in time, 1 September 2013, an ICD2013 Beta version has been produced for review purposes and field trials after 6 years of drafting phases.

The current ICD 2013 Beta version has relatively stable classification lists (i.e. linearizations) for Mortality and Morbidity recording. It will be reviewed by the specific Mortality Reference Group and the Morbidity Reference Group to see how well it fits the purpose and proposed transition from ICD‐10.

In addition, the Beta version has planned processes for:

(i) Systematic international scientific peer review (ii) Submission of additional proposals from public groups and scientists (iii) Conducting field trials for its applicability and reliability (iv) Production support in multiple languages (translations) starting with WHO official languages (v) Preparations for transitions from ICD‐10 to ICD‐11.

[…]

6. Timelines

The current ICD Revision Process timeline foresees that the ICD is submitted to the WHA in 2015 May and could then be implemented. Between now and 2015, there remains 20 months to conduct the remaining tasks summarized above as: 1. Reviews, 2. Additional Proposals, 3. Field Trials, 4. Translations, and 5. Transition Preparations.

Given the technical requirements these steps could be expedited in the next 20 months. The experience obtained thus far, however, suggests that this timeframe will be extremely tight for paying due diligence to the work especially in terms of: appropriate consultations with expert groups; communication and dissemination with stakeholders; and sufficient time for field testing in multiple countries and settings, and carrying out the resulting edits.

WHO Secretariat would like to discuss this with all stakeholders and evaluate the possible options:

a. Keep ICD submission to WHA to 2015 as originally planned and implementation / adoption date may be free by any Member State (current position – no change).

b. Postpone submission to WHA to a later year to allow longer time for field trials and other transition preparations.

[…]

In conclusion:

(a) WHO Secretariat could produce an ICD 2015 ready including Mortality and Morbidity Linearizations, Reference Guide and Index with the appropriate resolution to go to the World Health Assembly. This timeframe, however, is extremely tight for paying due diligence to the work especially in terms of: appropriate consultations with expert groups; and sufficient time for field testing in multiple countries and settings, and carrying out the resulting edits

(b) If the timeline is advanced to 2016, there will be more time to have ICD 2016 version with more translations and incorporations of some field tests results.

(c) If the timeline is advanced to 2017, ICD 2017 will be ready with most Field Test results incorporated and maintenance scheme tested.

[…]

Slide presentation: B Üstün, World Health Organization Classifications, Terminologies, Standards, ICD Revision: Quality Safety Meeting 2013 September 9-10

Where are we? What remains to be done? Shall we have ICD WHA submission in 2015 or later?

Slide 34:

Ustun 34rule

Slide 35: [WHA Approval timeline – options under consideration]

Ustun 35rule

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References:

1. Newsletter on the WHO-FIC, Volume 11, Number 2, 2013, Latest News, Page 3. WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications (FIC) in the Netherlands.

2. IUPsyS Mar 08 Agenda Item 25 ICD-10 International Union of Psychological Science COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ACTION, March 28–30, 2008, Agenda Item No. 25: Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and Involvement of Psychology.

3.  Exhibit 1 WHO Letter Aug 07 Letter Saxena, WHO, to Ritchie, IUPsyS (International Union for Psychological Science), August 2007.

4. ICD-11 Timeline: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/revision/timeline/en/index.html

5. Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, Twenty-second Session 4-6 September 2013, Items for discussion and decision: Item 8 of the provisional agenda, 3 September 2013, Pages 8-10: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/accsub/2013docs-22nd/SA-2013-12-Add1-Health-WHO.pdf

6. Slide presentation: ICD Revision: Where are we? Bedirhan Üstün, World Health Organization Classifications, Terminologies, Standards, ICD Revision: Quality Safety Meeting 2013, September 9-10, 2013, Slides 29-35: http://www.slideshare.net/ustunb/icd-2013-qs-tag-260276686

Correspondence In Press in response to Dimsdale et al paper: Somatic Symptom Disorder: An important change in DSM

Post #284 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3yQ

Update: The four letters, below, published In Press in Journal of Psychosomatic Research are now published in the December 2013 issue:

Issue: Vol 75 | No. 6 | December 2013 | Pages 497-588

Update: Editorial by Michael Sharpe, DSM-5 Somatic symptom disorder Work Group member

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/203/5/320.abstract
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/203/5/320.full.pdf+html

Editorial: Somatic symptoms: beyond ‘medically unexplained’

BJP November 2013 203:320-321; doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.122523

Michael Sharpe FRCPsych, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.

Abstract

Somatic symptoms may be classified as either ‘medically explained’ or ‘medically unexplained’ – the former being considered medical and the latter psychiatric. In healthcare systems focused on disease, this distinction has pragmatic value. However, new scientific evidence and psychiatric classification urge a more integrated approach with important implications for psychiatry.

A paper by DSM-5 Work Group members, Dimsdale JE, Creed F, Escobar J, Sharpe M, Wulsin L, Barsky A, Lee S, Irwin MR, Levenson J, titled Somatic Symptom Disorder: An important change in DSM, was published in the September issue of Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

There are four responses to this paper currently In Press. Subscription or payment is required to access the full text of these responses but the Dimsdale et al paper is now available free of charge:

http://www.jpsychores.com/inpress

http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00345-0/fulltext

Correspondence

The somatic symptom disorder in DSM 5 risks mislabelling people with major medical diseases as mentally ill

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.09.005

Winfried Häuser

Department of Internal Medicine I, Klinikum Saarbrücken, Saarbrücken, Germany
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität München, München, Germany

Frederick Wolfe

National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, Wichita, USA

In Press Corrected Proof Received 2 September 2013; accepted 25 September 2013. published online 28 October 2013.

Dimsdale and co-authors present data on the reliability, validity, and prevalence of the new DSM 5 category “Somatic Symptom disorder” (SSD) defined by persistent somatic symptoms in conjunction with…

http://www.jpsychores.com/inpress

http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00349-8/fulltext

Correspondence

Diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder requires clinical judgment

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.09.009

Joel E. Dimsdale

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, United States
[Ed: DSM-5 SSD Work Group Chair]

James Levenson

Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
[Ed: DSM-5 SSD Work Group Member]

In Press Corrected Proof Received 27 September 2013; accepted 27 September 2013. published online 01 November 2013.

The diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) rests on the presence of 3 factors—1. distressing and impairing somatic symptoms, 2. that are persistent at least 6 months, and 3. that are associated…

http://www.jpsychores.com/inpress

http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00378-4/fulltext

Correspondence

A commentary on: Somatic symptom disorder: An important change in DSM

DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.10.012

Winfried Rief

Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Available online 1 November 2013

The songs of praise about DSM-5 and its innovations are disseminated through the media, and consequently, a positive evaluation of the new category of somatic symptom and associated disorders was published…

http://www.jpsychores.com/inpress

http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00393-0/fulltext

Correspondence

Tradeoffs between validity and utility in the diagnosis of Somatic Symptom Disorder

DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.10.015

Joel E. Dimsdale

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, United States
[Ed: DSM-5 SSD Work Group Chair]

James Levenson

Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
[Ed: DSM-5 SSD Work Group Member]

Available online 31 October 2013

We appreciate the opportunity of responding to Professor Rief’s thoughtful letter concerning the thinking that guided our workgroup’s proposals for Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD). When we started out…

in response to paper:

http://tinyurl.com/SSDPDFresearchgate [Download Free PDF from link on right of webpage.]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23972410

Somatic Symptom Disorder: An important change in DSM.

Dimsdale JE, Creed F, Escobar J, Sharpe M, Wulsin L, Barsky A, Lee S, Irwin MR, Levenson J.

J Psychosom Res. 2013 Sep;75(3):223-8. Epub 2013 Jul 25.

Abstract: http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00265-1/abstract [Free]

Full text: http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(13)00265-1/fulltext

References: http://www.jpsychores.com/article/PIIS0022399913002651/references


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Commentaries on Somatic Symptom Disorder published in 2013 journal papers

In the June 2013 edition of Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders, Allen Frances, MD, who chaired the Task Force for DSM-IV, discusses his concerns for the loosely defined DSM-5 category, Somatic Symptom Disorder, sets out his suggestions for revising the criteria prior to finalization, as presented to the SSD Work Group chair, in December 2012, and advises clinicians against using the new SSD diagnosis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719325

DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorder.

Frances A.

Department of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, NC.

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2013 Jun;201(6):530-1. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e318294827c. No abstract available.

PMID: 23719325

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Commentary by Allen Frances, MD, and Suzy Chapman in the May 2012 issue of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. The paper discusses the over-inclusive DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorder criteria and the potential implications for diverse patient groups. The paper concludes by advising clinicians not to use the new SSD diagnosis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23653063

DSM-5 somatic symptom disorder mislabels medical illness as mental disorder.

Allen Frances¹, Suzy Chapman²

1 Department of Psychiatry, Duke University 2 DxRevisionWatch.com

Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2013 May;47(5):483-4. doi: 10.1177/0004867413484525. No abstract available.

PMID: 23653063

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The April 22, 2013 edition of Current Biology published a feature article on DSM-5 by science writer, Michael Gross, Ph.D. The article includes quotes from Allen Frances, MD, and Suzy Chapman on potential implications for patients for the application of the new DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorder. The article includes concerns for the influence of Somatic Symptom Disorder on proposals for a new ICD category – Bodily Distress Disorder – being field tested for ICD-11.

Current Biology 22 April, 2013 Volume 23, Issue 8

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Current Biology, Volume  23, Issue  8, R295-R298, 22 April 2013

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.009

Feature

Has the manual gone mental?

Michael Gross

Full text: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(13)00417-X

PDF: http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS096098221300417X.pdf

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In a BMJ opinion piece, published March 2013, Allen Frances, MD, opposes the new Somatic Symptom Disorder, discusses lack of specificity, data from the field trials, and advises clinicians to ignore this new category.

PDF for full text

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23511949

The new somatic symptom disorder in DSM-5 risks mislabeling many people as mentally ill.

Frances A.

Allen Frances, chair of the DSM-IV task force

BMJ. 2013 Mar 18;346:f1580. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f1580. No abstract available.

PMID: 23511949

[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

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Somatic Symptom Disorder is also included in Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt Against Out-Of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life (pp. 193-6): Allen Frances, William Morrow & Company (May 2013).

Also Essentials of Psychiatric Diagnosis: Responding to the Challenge of DSM-5 (Chapter 16): Allen Frances, Guilford Press (June 2013).

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Further reading

Objection to proposal to insert DSM-5′s Somatic symptom disorder into ICD-10-CM Suzy Chapman, Public submission, ICD-9-CM/PCS Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting September 18-19, 2013

APA Somatic Symptom Disorder Fact Sheet APA DSM-5 Resources

Somatic Chapter Drops Centrality Of Unexplained Medical Symptoms Psychiatric News, Mark Moran, March 1, 2013

Somatic Symptoms Criteria in DSM-5 Improve Diagnosis, Care David J Kupfer, MD, Chair, DSM-5 Task Force, defends the SSD construct, Huffington Post, February 8, 2013

The new somatic symptom disorder in DSM-5 risks mislabeling many people as mentally ill Allen Frances, MD, BMJ 2013;346:f1580 BMJ Press Release PDF for full text

Somatic Symptom Disorder could capture millions more under mental health diagnosis Suzy Chapman, May 26, 2012

Mislabeling Medical Illness As Mental Disorder Allen Frances, MD, Psychology Today, DSM 5 in Distress, December 8, 2012

Why Did DSM 5 Botch Somatic Symptom Disorder? Allen Frances, MD, Psychology Today, Saving Normal, February 6, 2013

New Psych Disorder Could Mislabel Sick as Mentally Ill Susan Donaldson James, ABC News, February 27, 2013

Dimsdale JE. Medically unexplained symptoms: a treacherous foundation for somatoform disorders? Psychiatr Clin North Am 2011;34:511-3. [PMID: 21889675]

Objectors to insertion of DSM-5’s Somatic symptom disorder into ICD-10-CM

Post #283 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3y8

Michael Munoz, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain CFS/ME & FM Association has organized a joint letter of objection signed by 13 U.S. patient organizations and advocates for submission to NCHS. It can be read here:

http://www.rmcfa.org/index.html > http://www.rm-cfs-fms.citymaker.com/f/NCHS.pdf

or download PDF here: Joint response to NCHS 11.15.13

This joint submission had been signed by the following organizations and advocates:

Michael Munoz, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain CFS/ME & FM Association
Lori Chapo-Kroger, RN, President & CEO, PANDORA Org
Charmian Proskauer, President, Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association
Tamara Staples, President & Co-Founder, Fibromyalgia – ME/CFS Support Center, Inc.
Donna Pearson, Vice President, Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association
Jean Harrison, President and Founder, MAME – Mothers Against Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Denise Lopez-Majano, Founder, Speak Up About ME
Rik Carlson, President, Immunedysfunction.org
Jennifer M. Spotila, JD., Occupy CFS blog, Patient Advocate
Billie Moore, Patient Advocate
Charlotte von Salis, JD, Patient Advocate
Mary Schweitzer, Ph.D., Patient Advocate
Mary Dimmock, Patient Advocate

I’d like to thank all those who have submitted objections to NCHS in opposition to the September 2013 C & M Committee meeting proposal to insert Somatic symptom disorder as an inclusion term in ICD-10-CM.

My submission can be read here PDF: Submission NCHS

Some additional organizations and individuals have advised me of their own submissions. If you have submitted a response on behalf of your organization or as a patient, advocate or professional and you would like your name or your organization’s name added to the list of responders below please shoot me an email or contact me via the Contact form with a link to your submission (if it has been placed in the public domain) and a couple of lines of credentials or stakeholder interest, if desired.

Bridget Mildon, Patient advocate and Founder of FND Hope, Inc. FND Hope is the only state registered non profit patient advocacy organization specifically for those assigned a diagnosed of Functional Neurological Disorder. Bridget was misdiagnosed with FND and continues to advocate for those with a FND diagnosis to receive appropriate patient care fndhope.org Submission
Mark Thompson, patient. Submission
Diane O’Leary, Ph.D. is a philosopher focused on the rights of medical patients denied medical care because of mistaken somatoform diagnoses. She is author of the book, Patient, Executive Director of the Sneddon’s Foundation, and author of numerous web and print entries on Sneddon’s Syndrome, a highly threatening cerebrovascular disease generally mistaken for somatoform disorders. Dr. O’Leary is author of “Peculiar Silence: The Problem of Error in Diagnosis of SSD” (a reply piece at BMJ). Dr O’Leary has coauthored several blogs, published and forthcoming, with Prof. Allen Frances at Huffington Post, Psychology Today and Psychiatric Times. New work is forthcoming for the National Organization for Rare Disorders and Ben’s Friends. An audio interview with Dr. O’Leary is available here. PDF Submission also Submission [On LinkedIn]
Suzy Chapman, DipAD, UK carer/advocate for young adult with long-term illness. Owner of website Dx Revision Watch, Monitoring the revision of DSM-5 and ICD-11. Co-author of journal papers and commentaries on the Somatic symptom disorder construct (with Professor Allen Frances). PDF Submission
Richard A. Lawhern, Ph.D. is an 18-year patient advocate. He writes content and moderates for “Living With TN,” a social networking site that supports nearly 5,000 chronic face pain patients in 117 countries – many of whom have been substantively harmed by mis-application of psychosomatic diagnoses. Submission
Angela Kennedy, M.A. (also retired R.G.N.), social science lecturer and researcher. Author of the book Authors of our own misfortune?: The problems with psychogenic explanations for physical illnesses (2012) Village Digital Press. Carer and parent of disabled woman who became ill at 12 years of age.
Gail Kansky, President, National CFIDS Foundation, Inc. Needham, MA http://www.ncf-net.org Submission
Jack Carney, Ph.D., DSW, Brooklyn, NY, Committee to Boycott the DSM-5, contributor to Mad in America. A social worker, Dr Carney writes on the contradictions and hypocrisies of the public mental health system and promotes and applauds acts of resistance to it.
Jennifer Brauer, BA, Women’s Studies, University of Massachusetts. Former certified paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician BLS, Bureau of The Emergency Medical Services, NY City Fire Dept. (1996-2005).
Samuel Wales, author, The Kafka Pandemic

Next meeting of ICD-10-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee is March 19-20, 2014

Post #282 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-3xE

The deadline for receipt of public submissions in response to proposals for updates and changes to ICD-10-CM diagnosis and procedure codes presented at the September 18-19, 2013 meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee has now closed.

In 2014, this advisory Committee, which is co-chaired by NCHS and CMS, will be known as the ICD-10-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee, as there will be no further updates of ICD-9-CM.

A done deal?

Proposals submitted on behalf of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and presented at the meeting by APA’s Research Director, Darrel Regier, MD, can be found from Page 32 of the Diagnosis Agenda. Additional proposals for inclusion of new DSM-5 disorder terms within ICD-10-CM Chapter 5 Mental and behavioral disorders can be found on Pages 45-46.

The Summary of the September meeting diagnosis presentations can be found here. Links for the four videocasts of the meeting’s two day proceedings are listed in this Dx Revision Watch post and the Meeting Materials are here.

The Timeline for ICD-9-CM (for the remainder of its life) and for ICD-10-CM is set out from Page 3 of the Diagnosis Agenda.

Some diagnosis proposals at the September 18-19, 2013 meeting were requested for October 2014 implementation and some for 2015 implementation. I shall update this site when the outcomes of the various proposals are published, next year.

There is a lack of clarity over which body has requested the addition of Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and Illness anxiety disorder as inclusion terms to existing ICD-10-CM codes. It isn’t clear whether these two additional DSM-5 constructs have been proposed for inclusion in ICD-10-CM by the APA or by the NCHS/CMS Committee – if the latter, should we assume these two proposals already have the support of NCHS?

Given APA’s determination to achieve harmonization between the two systems, the outcome of its proposals to insert a handful of new DSM-5 disorders into ICD-10-CM may already be a done deal between APA and NCHS: the Director of NCHS may not need much persuasion to ratify their retrofitting into ICD-10-CM.

Loss of public trust and confidence

If NCHS is planning to rubber stamp insertion into ICD-10-CM of DSM-5’s poorly validated Somatic symptom disorder in response to APA diktat, having conducted no field testing and in the absence of a body of supportive evidence for SSD’s clinical relevance, safety and utility, and with disregard for a high level of public concern, what confidence can the public have that this federal agency is meeting its duty of care towards patient populations and towards the clinicians and allied health professionals who may deploy this proposed new ICD term, in its ethics, integrity and methods and for upholding standards of scientific rigour?

APA may re-present proposals next year

If APA is unsuccessful with any of the additions requested via the September meeting, it is possible that the organization may re-present proposals or modified proposals at the next C & M Committee meeting, scheduled for March 19-20, 2014. There are also other new DSM-5 disorders or changes that APA might potentially propose for incorporation into ICD-10-CM at the March 2014 or the September 2014 meeting, or at some later point.

Only a brief public submission period for March 2014 meeting

March 19-20, 2014 meeting

The deadline for Requestors to submit proposals for consideration for the March meeting agenda is January 17, 2014.

The draft agenda will be posted in February 2014.

Registration is required for those wishing to attend the meeting. Register online between on February 14 – March 14.

The two day meeting is scheduled for March 19 – 20.

Note: the deadline for receipt of comments on the March 19-20, 2014 meeting proposals for both procedure and diagnosis codes and changes is given as April 18. So instead of a couple of months for stakeholder responses, it appears there will only be four weeks or so in which to prepare and submit comments or objections.

I will post the Diagnosis Agenda for the March 2014 meeting as soon as it becomes available and links for the videocasts of the proceedings after the meeting has taken place. (Videocasts now substitute for written transcripts of meeting proceedings.)

Extracts from the Timeline that relate to the publication of additions and changes for ICD-10-CM:

April 2014 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to be published in the Federal Register as mandated by Public Law 99-509. This notice will include references to the complete and finalized FY 2015 ICD-10-CM diagnosis and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes. It will also include proposed revisions to the MS-DRG system based on ICD-10-CM/PCS codes on which the public may comment. The proposed rule can be accessed here.

June 2014 Final addendum posted on web pages as follows:

Diagnosis addendum – http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd10cm.htm
Procedure addendum – http://cms.hhs.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/index.html

October 1, 2014 New and revised ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes go into effect along with DRG changes. Final addendum posted on web pages as follows:

Diagnosis addendum – http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd9cm_addenda_guidelines.htm
Procedure addendum – http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/addendum.html

November 2014 Any new ICD-10 codes required to capture new technology that will be implemented on the following April 1 will be announced. Information on any new codes to be implemented April 1, 2015 will be posted on the following websites:

http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/addendum.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd9cm_addenda_guidelines.htm