What is the significance of the implementation of ICD-10 code?
Beginning with deaths occurring in January 1999, the United States began using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) to classify causes of death reported on death certificates. Prior to this, ICD-9 was used from1979-1998. Implementation of ICD-10 has had an important impact on the presentation and interpretation of mortality statistics by cause-of-death. The change to ICD-10 created a discontinuity in trends that must be accounted for when comparing mortality during 1999 and later to prior years. To put it another way, cause-of-death data for 1999 and later years are not comparable to prior years, unless adjustments are made for the coding and classification changes. Without adjustment, it is impossible to know whether an observed increase or decrease in deaths due to a particular cause is “real” or merely the result of the changes in classification and coding. For further information on the changes, please click on the links below: Washington State, Center for Health Stati
