In current practice by the mental health field, many clinicians use the DSM-IV in diagnosing mental disorders. Can these clinicians continue current practice and use the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria?
(September 2003) A: Yes. The Introduction to the DSM-IV indicates that the DSM-IV is “fully compatible” with the ICD-9-CM. The reason for this compatibility is that each diagnosis listed in the DSM-IV is “crosswalked” to the appropriate ICD-9-CM code. It is expected that clinicians may continue to base their diagnostic decisions on the DSM-IV criteria, and, if so, to crosswalk those decisions to the appropriate ICD-9-CM codes. In addition, it is still perfectly permissible for providers and others to use the DSM-IV codes, descriptors and diagnostic criteria for other purposes, including medical records, quality assessment, medical review, consultation and patient communications.
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