ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 is the tenth version of the International Classification of Diseases. It is a global system used by over 100 countries, in which codes are used within electronic health records (EHR) to designate when a person has a specific diagnosis. There are modifications to ICD-10 that are used in different countries. For example, the U.S. uses ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, Canada uses ICD-10-CA, and Australia uses ICD-10-AM.

Because of the process for diagnosing ME/CFS and the complexity of the disease, documenting ME/CFS in EHR has been complicated historically. It often requires interpreting doctor notes, which aren’t standardized. As of October, 2023, ICD-10-CM has a code for ME/CFS, though it’s important to keep in mind that using that code still requires a doctor to understand how to diagnose ME/CFS.

An OMF-supported initiative at the Bateman Horne Center, the Medical Education Resource Center (MERC), is working to educate doctors on how to diagnose ME/CFS and other multi-system chronic complex diseases. Read more about this initiative here.