By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Top Differences Between ICD-9-CM & ICD-10-CM
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Top Differences Between ICD-9-CM & ICD-10-CM
eHealth

Top Differences Between ICD-9-CM & ICD-10-CM

Andy Salmen
Last updated: January 9, 2013 8:51 am
Andy Salmen
Share
5 Min Read
ICD 9 and 10
SHARE

ICD 9 and 10With the upcoming switch to ICD-10, major changes are being made to the way things are being done.  To help smooth out the transition, here are the most important differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM that you need to know.

Specific Information

ICD 9 and 10With the upcoming switch to ICD-10, major changes are being made to the way things are being done.  To help smooth out the transition, here are the most important differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM that you need to know.

Specific Information

More Read

2012 Healthcare Data Breach Update
Keep ePHI on Secure Networks, Not Mobile Devices, Recommends OCR
“Don’t Be an Egg-Head” and Other Social Media Lessons [PODCAST]
Technology Applications and the Fast-Moving Elderly
Blogging About Sensitive Topics
TalkItt: An App That Gives Voice to the Speech Impaired

ICD-9 has been plagued by a lack of specifics, such as similar injuries on opposite limbs having the same code.  This reduces effectiveness and has caused confusion on many different levels.  ICD-10 will offer a greater degree of specific information in areas such as right versus left, initial or subsequent encounter, and other relevant clinical information.  The greater degree of specific information is utilized with a number of different methods, many of which are covered below.

Number of Codes

As part of the effort to provide more information, ICD-10 will have roughly 68,000 available codes (with flexibility for adding new ones) in comparison to ICD-9’s 13,000 codes and limited space for additions. Codes may be somewhat different than before, so coders will need to understand how to effectively search for codes under the new system.

Length of Code

ICD-10 uses codes that are longer (in some cases) than those of ICD-9, following a basic structure.

  • Digits 1-3 will now refer to the category 
  • Digit 1 is always alphabetic
  • Digits 2-3 are always numeric
  • Digits 4-6 will cover clinical details such as severity, etiology, and anatomic site (among others), and are either alphabetic or numeric
  • Digit 7 will serve as an extension when necessary, and will be either alphabetic or numeric

Combination Codes

ICD-10 supports further use of combination codes that can be used to classify such things as multiple diagnoses or a diagnosis with a complication.  These are expressed as single codes, reducing the number of codes that need to be made while still providing information that is as specific as possible.

Use of Alphabetic Codes

ICD-9 only permitted numeric codes.  In contrast, ICD-10 will make significant use of alphabet codes as part of its work to be more specific.  The characters will not be case sensitive, and both alphabetic and numeric codes are intended to retain identical meanings as much as possible throughout code sets and procedure sections.

The additional characters allow for information such as listing the body system, root operation, body part, approach, device, and any necessary qualifier all within one code for a surgical procedure.  Use of this may vary somewhat by section.

Relevance to Modern Technology

ICD-9 is widely considered to be based on outdated technology, with codes unable to reflect the use of new equipment.  ICD-10 offers far more integration with modern technology, with an emphasis on devices that are actually being used for various procedures. The additional spaces available are partly designed to allow for new technology to be seamlessly integrated into codes, which means fewer concerns about the ability to accurately report information as time goes on.

In Conclusion

ICD-10 is not a simple update to ICD-9.  The structural changes throughout the entire coding system are very significant, and the increased level of complexity requires coders to be even more thoroughly trained than before.  However, it is possible to prepare for the changes by remembering a few simple guidelines:

  • Train early- The more familiar your staff are with ICD-10, the better. While currently scheduled to begin Oct. 1, 2014, beginning the training now is not a bad idea.
  • Understand the ICD-10- The structural changes require a change in the way people think about coding, and understanding it will help to break current coding habits.  Medical professionals used to reporting things a certain way so they can be coded may need to change what they say in order to work well with the new system.
  • Ask for help- If there is something you or your staff need help with or do not understand, ask for help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAGGED:HITICD-10ICD-9
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Breach of UofM Health System: 4K Affected

January 1, 2013
cancer patient speak out
eHealthSocial Media

The Benefit of Being a Vocal Cancer Patient

September 8, 2014
Embedded image permalink
Social Media

Top 10 Healthcare IT blogs to follow

September 8, 2015

Live Streams: A New Way to Market Your Healthcare Facility

April 8, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?