The ICD-11 Cost Estimate and a Benefit Discussion

Introduction: The International Classification of Disease, 11th Revision (ICD-11) has been released in June 2018. Although ICD-11 is expected to be adopted worldwide, including by all provinces in Canada, few studies have been conducted to understand the costs and benefits of the ICD-11 transition. This paper covers this gap in the literature by providing cost estimates for the ICD-11 transition in Canada and discussing the possible benefits of the transition for Canada and other countries.  

Methods: The paper employs a mixed-methods approach to calculate the costs. Literature reviews, stakeholder interviews, were conducted to inform the cost calculation and benefit discussion. Data analytics techniques were used to create an interactive online cost-benefit calculator. 

Results: The paper provides provincial and national cost estimates for the Canadian transition and explains six categories of benefit estimation. An interactive, internationally applicable online calculator is available for use. Interview results are summarized, and lessons learned from the ICD-9 to ICD-10-CA transition is discussed. 

Discussion: This paper offers key evidence to drive policymaking and decision-making, as well as a roadmap for calculating the costs and benefits for countries. The online calculator will be a useful interactive and visual tool for decision-makers to understand both the costs and the cost savings arising as a consequence of the new ICD coding system implementation.