Clinical Coding Instruction Manual – Mental Health ICD-10
This instruction manual provides guidance on the rules and conventions for ICD-10 (the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems – tenth version) and the recording of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in OPCS-4.
The manual incorporates national standards and best practice in coding, and it has been developed for use as part of a dedicated clinical coding training programme. Copies are only issued to Approved Clinical Coding Trainers for distribution to delegates attending a three-day Mental Health Foundation Course, however they can be retained by clinical coders for reference following training. To enquire further about this product, e-mail datastandards@nhs.net.
Improving data quality
NHS Connecting for Health, Information for Health and the NHS Plan gives prominence to supporting primary care, community and mental health issues. Analysis derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data has confirmed that coded clinical data in the mental health speciality is inconsistent and of poor quality.
This manual has been developed to help psychiatrists and those responsible for mental health coding. It's part of the commitment to improving data quality within this field.
It is also essential that those responsible for coding or auditing should be adequately trained.
Classification of mental health and behavioural disorders
The World Health Organisation (WHO) produce a speciality-based adaptation ICD-10 Classification of Mental Health and Behavioural Disorders, which includes clinical description and diagnostics. We recommend that this adaptation is only used in conjunction with the complete ICD-10 classification, so that all ICD-10 conventions are fully adhered to and the data produced is valid for Central Returns