1. With up to 13 dimensions, the ICD-11 is designed as an EHR-compatible database. It will link with the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms, which is currently a component of many EHRs.
2. ICD-11 is structured in linearizations, incorporating features with a focus on mortality, morbidity, the degree of primary care, research and public health.
3. There are no longer alpha “I” and “O” codes relating to cardiology and obstetrics, but “unspecifieds” are retained.
4. Codes contain four characters before the decimal point, rather than three. There may be up to three characters after the decimal point.
5. Additional codes building on the base code are included for specificity, laterality and anatomy. They help describe associated conditions or manifestations and describe injuries in greater detail.
6. The ICD-11 draft contains seven new chapters, including Diseases of the Blood and Blood-forming Organs, Disorders of the Immune System, Conditions related to Sexual Health and Traditional Medicine.
7. The draft is not final or approved by WHO; updated on a daily basis; and not intended to be used outside of field trials.
8. When officially released, ICD-11 may help U.S. specialty groups build codes that more accurately describe conditions.
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