Supporting the validation of the new allergic and hypersensitivity conditions section of the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases-11

BACKGROUND: The new International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 "Allergic and hypersensitivity conditions" section has been constructed as a result of a detailed and careful action plan based on scientific evidences for the necessity of changes and collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-11 revision governance. All the efforts are being acknowledged by the Joint Allergy Academies. OBJECTIVE: Considering the new classification model addressed to the allergic and hypersensitivity conditions and following the ICD WHO agenda, we believe it is the appropriate time to start supporting the validation process in collaboration with the WHO ICD governance. METHODS: We conducted a mapping of ICD-10 allergic and hypersensitivity conditions in the ICD-11 beta phase structure and categorized the conditions as fitting by "precoordination," "postcoordination," "indexed to the ICD-11 Foundation," "no code fit properly" or "no correspondence" in the ICD-11. RESULTS: From overall 125 ICD-10 entities spread in 6 chapters, 57.6% were able to be precoordinated, 4% postcoordinated, 12% indexed to the Foundation, 9.6% had no code fitting properly and 18.6% had no correspondence in the ICD-11 framework. CONCLUSION: We have been able to demonstrate that 83.2% of the ICD-10 allergic and hypersensitivity conditions could be captured by the current ICD-11 beta draft framework. We strongly believe that our findings constitute a key step forward for a softer transition of the ICD-10 allergic and hypersensitivity conditions to the ICD-11, supporting the WHO in this process as well as strengthening the visibility of the Allergy specialty and ensuring quality management of allergic patients.

Making allergic and hypersensitivity conditions visible in the International Classification of Diseases-11

Understanding that the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 revision would be an opportunity to standardize the code definitions for all allergic and hypersensitivity conditions, an international collaboration of Allergy Academies, including first the World Allergy Organization, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, has been coordinating tremendous efforts since 2013 to provide a better classification of these disorders in the new ICD-11. During this process, a strategic action plan has been constructed to keep bilateral dialog with representatives of the ICD revision by providing them scientific and technical evidences for the need of changes in the ICD framework. As a major achievement of this process, was the construction of the "allergic and hypersensitivity conditions" parented subchapter guided by the World Health Organization ICD representatives and further supported by three more regional allergy societies: the Latin American Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, and the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. Believing that the outcomes of all past and future actions will impact positively to the Allergy specialty, we expect for the full approval by the United Nations in 2017.