I was invited to write a guest blog post on AcademyHealth.org on the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 billing codes and the implications it has for researchers. This switch poses some interesting challenges for researchers, given how we typically utilize billing codes. Namely, we often do not simply use a single code, but instead use a series of codes to define an event or comorbid condition. Therefore, crosswalks from individual ICD-9 codes to individual ICD-10 codes can only take us so far. What’s needed are valid crosswalks for defining events, diseases, and encounters.
You can check out the full posting here:
http://blog.academyhealth.org/administrative-data-and-icd-10-opportunities-and-challenges/