iCAT Glossary
(as of 2 February 2010)

DEFINITION

1. ICD-10 Code

Short definition: ICD-10 alpha-numeric representation of the disease entity.

Details: This read-only field is the traditional alpha-numeric representation of the disease entity with a letter in the first position and a number in the second, third and fourth positions. The fourth character follows a decimal point. Possible code numbers range from A00.0 to Z99.9.  The letter U is not used.  This field will only be available for the categories that existed in ICD 10. Therefore, newly added categories will not have an ICD-10 code. Even if the category has been moved to a new location in the hierarchy, the ICD10 code will remain unchanged.

2. ICD Title

Short definition: The "Title" is the term for any ICD concept (unit, entity or category) which labels the intended concept in a meaningful, unambiguous way.

Details: The "Title" is the term for any ICD concept (unit, entity or category), which labels the intended concept in a meaningful, unambiguous way.  The title stands for:

The title is selected from existing ICD-10, unless otherwise specified. It is possible to propose changes only if the change does not affect the meaning. Otherwise a new category has to be created instead of changing the title.

3. Definition

Short definition: Full text definition.

Details:
Textual Definition Overall Description: Each ICD concept will be accompanied by a written definition of its descriptive characteristics.  This full text definition enables human users to understand the meaning of a concept for classification, translation and other reasons.  Pre-existing internationally agree-upon definitions are included where applicable.

  1. Writing a new textual definition: When no textual definition exists in iCAT, contributors must describe the concept clearly and concisely. Contributors may refer to any existing set of definitions from other scientifically credible sources. Any such reference should be cited by source (e.g.  Pub Med ID; ISBN, URL…). It is not compulsory to use these if they are felt to be unsatisfactory.
  2. Use of existing ICD definitions: Certain ICD-10 chapters and some specialty adaptations include textual definitions (e.g. Mental Health, Neoplasms, Neurology…). Additionally such definitions exist in other members of the WHO Family of International Classifications such as the International Nomenclature of Diseases. These should be incorporated by default in the ICD-11 drafts for further improvement.  TAGs will create or improve the definition based on evidence.

4. Editorial Status Definition

iCAT will be updated soon to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

TERMS

5. Synonyms

Short definition: Synonyms are alternative names for the same underlying concept (e.g. common terms, medical jargon).

Details: Synonyms are alternative names for the same underlying concept, including common terms and medical jargon.  Synonyms are not intended to be used interchangeably with the concept title, but help users to locate the proper code within the ICD. The concept title will have precedence over synonyms for international reporting. 

New synonyms may be proposed on the iCAT platform.

6. Inclusions

Short definition: Inclusion terms are either synonyms of the category titles or subclasses which are not represented in the classification hierarchy.

Details: Inclusion terms appear in the tabular list of the traditional print version and show users that entities are included in the relevant concept.  All of the ICD-10 inclusion terms have been imported and accessible in the iCat.  These are either synonyms of the category titles or subclasses which are not represented in the classification hierarchy. Since we have synonyms as a separate entity in our ICD-11 content model, the new synonyms suggested by the users should go into the synonyms section.  In the future, iCat will provide a mechanism to identify whether an inclusion is a synonym or a subclass.

7. Exclusions

Short definition: Exclusion terms help users eliminate entities that should be assigned to a different ICD category because of differences in meaning or terminology.

Details: Exclusion terms help users eliminate entities that should be assigned to a different ICD category because of differences in meaning or terminology.

8. Editorial Status Term

iCAT will be updated soon to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

CLINICAL DESCRIPTION

9. Body System

Short definition: Traditional divisions of body systems used to organize codes taken from list of body systems currently used in the ICD-10.

Details: The ICD has historically used body systems as an organizing principle. Traditional divisions of body systems facilitate the creation of meaningful subsets for coding and analysis. Users must choose from body systems currently listed in the ICD-10 to ensure compatibility.

10. Body Part

Short definition: Topographic location of the body where the health-related problem can be found at the most specific level relevant to the condition selected from SNOMED-CT.

Details: The ICD has traditionally used the topographic location of the body where the health-related problem can be found at the most specific level relevant to the condition.  The ICD-11 will use standardized terminology selected from SNOMED-CT via importation from BioPortal.

11. Signs and Symptoms

Short definition: Objective diagnostic findings and subjective indications of a diseases or disorder.

Details: Signs refer to objective diagnostic findings of a disease or disorder, as recognized by the patient, doctor, or others. Symptoms generally refer to a subjective indication of a disease or disorder, as experienced by the patient. In the ICD-11, no distinction will be made between signs and symptoms. Incorporating signs and symptoms will help users identify the appropriate ICD category. When possible, the signs and symptoms should be selected from SNOMED-CT and LOINC via importation from BioPortal.

12. Severity

iCAT will be updated soon to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

13. Temporal Properties

iCAT will be updated soon to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

14. Investigations

Short definition: Investigations include anything that is done as a lab or measurement and used to diagnose the patient by the doctor.

Details: Investigations include anything that is done as a lab or measurement and used to diagnose the patient by the doctor.

15. Editorial Status Clinical Description

iCAT will be updated soon to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA

16. Diagnostic Criteria

Short definition: Expanded ICD categories that identify the diagnostic rules; i.e. the way different clinical description parameters that come together to qualify for a diagnosis according to ICD.

Details: Various extensions to ICD, in particular specialty adaptations, have expanded on the ICD categories in identifying the diagnostic rules, i.e. the way different elements in the Content Model come together to qualify for a diagnosis according to ICD.  In addition various WHO guidelines have identified diagnostic rules (e.g. guidelines, criteria) that relate to reporting of mortality, morbidity or other purposes.

CAUSAL MECHANISMS and RISK FACTORS

17. Causal Mechanisms

Short definition: Causal mechanisms identify the necessary cause(s) that must be present for an ICD concept to occur.

Details: Causal mechanisms identify the necessary cause(s) that must be present for an ICD concept to occur.

18. Risk Factors

Short definition:Risk factors are variables associated with the likelihood of an ICD concept occurring.  Risk factors are correlational and not necessarily causal.

Details: Risk factors are variables associated with the likelihood of an ICD concept occurring. Risk factors are correlational and not necessarily causal.

19. Genomic Linkages

Short definition: Genomic Linkages identify necessary candidate genes and snips related to the occurrence of the ICD concept.

Details: Genomic Linkages identify necessary candidate genes and snips related to the occurrence of the ICD concept.

FUNCTIONAL IMPACT

20. Functional Impact

iCAT will be soon be updated to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.

21. Editorial Status Functional Impact

iCAT will be soon be updated to accommodate this functionality.  At this time, please refrain from entering content for this parameter.