Building evidence for updating Canada’s disease classification system in primary care: Invitation for family physicians to participate in a coding exercise

The purpose of this research study is to assess future classification system needs and preferences of Canadian primary care physicians and to inform the potential transition from ICD-9.

The coding exercise and survey section of the study, which family physicians are invited to complete, will assist in understanding how providers use and perceive newer classification systems for clinical documentation and billing.

ICD-9 is widely used in Canadian primary care settings. Yet, there are more robust and time-appropriate classification systems available now. Two viable alternatives are the International Classification of Disease version 11 (ICD-11) and the International Classification of Primary Care version 3 (ICPC-3). However, adopting a new national classification system is a significant undertaking that requires user acceptance, behaviour change, training and resources. Therefore, in this study, the research team aims to evaluate the acceptability and practical use of the updated classification system(s) that could replace ICD-9.

We anticipate this work will inform governments and decision-makers about the suitability of these coding systems for family medicine, as well as identify any gaps or limitations that can be addressed in the future. This coding exercise and survey should take approximately 30-60 minutes.

Learn more/complete the coding exercise here: https://physiciancoding.ca/welcome