A Belgian Implementation Blueprint for WHO ICD-11/WHO ICHI-Based MDCs and DRGs in Relation to SNOMED CT
Abstract A defensible Belgian pathway to Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) and Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) based on WHO ICD-11 and WHO ICHI could be built as a three-layer architecture: SNOMED CT for point-of-care clinical semantics, WHO ICD-11 Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (MMS) and WHO International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) for classification of diagnoses and interventions, and a transparent national grouper that consumes standardized episode variables and produces reimbursement classes. That architecture should not assume the existence of an official global SNOMED CT→WHO ICD-11 or SNOMED CT→WHO ICHI reimbursement-grade map. WHO states that the outcome of WHO ICD-11/SNOMED CT mapping collaboration remains under discussion and is not guaranteed, while WHO’s ICD-11 licensing materials also state that mappings and crosswalks are not covered by the base WHO ICD-11 licence and may require separate written agreement. SNOMED International documents official ma...