Importance of Understanding Different Diagnostic Codes

Diagnostic codes are combination of letters and numbers that healthcare professionals
assign to a given procedure, symptom or diagnosis. They are a translation of written disease
and injury description into a form that can be universally understood. The codes provide
detailed and specific information about the condition of a patient and their treatments (Hirsch
et al., 2016). Given the importance of the information that they capture, it is important for
healthcare professionals to properly understand them.

Perhaps the most important reason for understanding different diagnostic codes within
a patient’s medical records is patient management. For positive health outcome, it is
important that physicians and other healthcare professionals have a correct understanding of
the patient’s health problem. The more accurate their understanding of the problem is, the
more likely they are to make proper clinical decisions that improve the patient’s health
outcome (McNally, 2016). For instance, if a patient checks into a healthcare facility with an
acute condition that needs treatment, a check of the patient’s medical diagnostic codes in
their medical records may reveal that they have some chronic condition. With this
information, the doctor may avoid providing the patient with treatment or medications that
may worsen their chronic condition. Without an understanding of the patient’s diagnostic
codes in their medical records, a doctor is likely to offer patients inappropriate treatments that
lead to poor health outcomes.

Thus, the understanding (or lack of it) of different diagnostic codes within medical
records of patients has a major impact on the health outcome of the patient because it affects
the quality of clinical decision-making. A proper understanding of the diagnostic codes helps

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healthcare professionals to make appropriate clinical decisions that increase chances of
having positive health outcomes for the patient.

References

Hirsch, J. A., Nicola, G., McGinty, G., Liu, R. W., Barr, R. M., Chittle, M. D., &
Manchikanti, L. (2016). ICD-10: history and context. American Journal of
Neuroradiology, 37(4), 596-599.

McNally, M. (2016). The Importance of Detailed Documentation in ICD-10. American
College of Surgeons