Category: ICD revision process

Next Meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee

Next Meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee

The next meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee is announced for September 19, 2012 and a tentative agenda issued. The Committee is co-chaired by CMS and CDC.

ICD-10-CM is a US specific modification of the WHO’s ICD-10 and not yet implemented. (When ICD-10-CM has been implemented, the Committee will be known as the ICD-10-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee.)

The current proposal for the compliance date for some entities for adoption of ICD-10-CM is that the deadline be delayed for a further year, from October 1, 2013 to October 1, 2014, to allow more time for US clinical practices and the healthcare industry to prepare for transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM. The public comment period on this proposal closed in June and a final rule for compliance has yet to be announced.

Coding of Chronic fatigue syndrome within the forthcoming ICD-10-CM

Discussion of the location of Chronic fatigue syndrome in ICD-10-CM is tabled on the tentative agenda for the September 19 meeting.

At the September 14, 2011 meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee, a presentation was made on behalf of the Coalition 4 ME/CFS.

A proposal had been submitted by the Coalition that consideration be given to moving the classification of Chronic fatigue syndrome from the R code chapter (Symptoms and signs) of ICD-10-CM to the G code chapter (Diseases of the nervous system).

This would bring the chapter location and parent class coding of Chronic fatigue syndrome in line with ICD-10 and the Canadian ICD-10-CA.

Proposals for the forthcoming ICD-11 have Chronic fatigue syndrome, Postviral fatigue syndrome and ME classified under the G codes, within Chapter 6 Diseases of the nervous system, with Chronic fatigue syndrome designated as an ICD-11 Title term and ME specified as an Inclusion term to Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Various suggestions were discussed at the meeting as to how the three terms should be coded if Chronic fatigue syndrome were moved to the G codes chapter. No decision has been conveyed following closure of the public comment period for the meeting.

Further discussion of the location of Chronic fatigue syndrome in ICD-10-CM has been tabled on the tentative agenda for the September 19, 2012 meeting. I will post Summary documents and other relevant meeting materials as these become available.

There are three posts on Dx Revision Watch that relate to the Coalition’s presentation at the September 14, 2011 meeting:

Coding CFS in ICD-10-CM: CFSAC and the Coalition4ME/CFS initiative

Extracts: ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting Summary document (CFS coding)

Extracts: ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting September 14, 2011 (Coding of CFS in ICD-10-CM)

For further information on this public process see the CDC website page:

ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee

Upcoming meeting: September 19, 2012

Tentative Agenda

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/08/15/2012-20019/notice-of-meeting-of-the-icd-9-cm-coordination-and-maintenance-committee

A Notice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Notice of Meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff announces the following meeting:

Name: ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee meeting.

Time and Date: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., September 19, 2012.

Place: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Auditorium, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244.

Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available. The meeting room accommodates approximately 240 people.

Security Considerations: Due to increased security requirements CMS has instituted stringent procedures for entrance into the building by non-government employees. Attendees will need to present valid government-issued picture identification, and sign-in at the security desk upon entering the building. Attendees who wish to attend a specific ICD-9-CM C&M meeting on September 19, 2012, must submit their name and organization by September 10, 2012, for inclusion on the visitor list. This visitor list will be maintained at the front desk of the CMS building and used by the guards to admit visitors to the meeting.

Participants who attended previous ICD-9-CM C&M meetings will no longer be automatically added to the visitor list. You must request inclusion of your name prior to each meeting you attend.

Please register to attend the meeting on-line at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/events/.Show citation box

Please contact Mady Hue (410-786-4510 or Marilu.hue@cms.hhs.gov ), for questions about the registration process.

Matters To Be Discussed: Tentative agenda items include: September 19, 2012.

ICD-10 Topics:
ICD-10 Implementation Announcements
Expansion of Thoracic Aorta Body Part Under Heart and Great Vessels System
Addendum Issues (Temporary Therapeutic Endovascular Occlusion of Vessel, changing body part from thoracic aorta to abdominal aorta)
ICD-10MS-DRGs
ICD-10HAC Translations
ICD-10MCE Translations

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Topics:
Age related macular degeneration
Bilateral mononeuropathy
Bilateral option for cerebrovascular codes
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Complications of urinary devices
Diabetic macular edema
Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)
Maternal care for previous Cesarean section/previous uterine incision
Metatarsus varus (congenital metatarsus adductus)
Microscopic colitis
Mid-cervical region and coding of spinal cord injuries
Multifocal motor neuropathy
Parity to supervision of pregnancy codes
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Retinal vascular occlusions
Salter Harris fractures
Sesamoiditis
Shin splints
Spontaneous rupture/disruption of tendon

Agenda items are subject to change as priorities dictate.

Note:

CMS and NCHS will no longer provide paper copies of handouts for the meeting. Electronic copies of all meeting materials will be posted on the CMS and NCHS Web sites prior to the meeting at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/03_meetings.asp# and http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd9cm_maintenance.htm

Contact Persons for Additional Information: Donna Pickett, Medical Systems Administrator, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, email dfp4@cdc.gov :, telephone 301-458-4434 (diagnosis); Mady Hue, Health Insurance Specialist, Division of Acute Care, CMS, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244, email marilu.hue@cms.hhs.gov , telephone 410-786-4510 (procedures).

The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Dated: August 9, 2012.

Catherine Ramadei,

Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[FR Doc. 2012-20019 Filed 8-14-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-18-P

(c) 2012 US Federal Register

New Twitter address and new domain for Dx Revision Watch

New Twitter address and new domain for Dx Revision Watch

Please note the domain for the sister site, Dx Revision Watch, has changed to

http://dxrevisionwatch.com

Previous links to posts and pages are being mapped across to the new domain but you may like to update Bookmarks and update links to the Home Page on websites and blogs.

The Twitter page associated with both sites has also changed from

http://twitter.com/meagenda

to

http://twitter.com/dxrevisionwatch

@dxrevisionwatch

Federal Notice of next CFSAC meeting, Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 November (US)

Federal Notice of next CFSAC meeting, Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 November (US)

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3kV

Update @ October 19, 2011

An expanded version of the email I received from Mr Emmett Nixon on October 14 has now been posted on the CFSAC site at http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/notices/n101811.html which includes the following:

“We will provide a video recording of the meeting on the CFSAC webpage, http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs, which will be posted within one week of the meeting. This recording will be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and will include captions.”

**********************************************************************************************

Fall CFSAC meeting

The Federal Notice announcing dates for the Fall Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) meeting was issued on October 5, 2011 and can be read here Federal Notice. At the time of publishing, an agenda for this meeting has yet to be released. I will update when the agenda has been published.

Custom TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/November2011CFSAC

The two day meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 and Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at a new venue – the Holiday Inn Capitol, Columbia Room, 550 C Street, SW., Washington, DC.

Since May 2009, the entire meeting proceedings have been streamed as live video with videocasts posted online a few days after the meeting has closed. For the November meeting, CFSAC has stated that only a live audio feed will be provided rather than real-time visuals and auto subtitling and that a high quality video will be provided at a later date.

The Federal Notice can be read below and beneath that, a clarification received on October 14, from Mr Emmett Nixon (HHS/OAHS), CFSAC Support Team.

Meeting of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee

A Notice by the Health and Human Services Department on 10/05/2011

Summary

As stipulated by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is hereby giving notice that the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) will hold a meeting. The meeting will be open to the public.

Table of Contents

DATES:
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

DATES:

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 and Wednesday, November 9, 2011. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 8, 2011, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on November 9, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Holiday Inn Capitol; Columbia Room; 550 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024; Hotel (202-479-4000).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy C. Lee, MD; Designated Federal Officer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee, Department of Health and Human Services; 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Hubert Humphrey Building, Room 712E; Washington, DC 20201. Please direct all inquiries to cfsac@hhs.gov .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

CFSAC was established on September 5, 2002. The Committee shall advise and make recommendations to the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Health, on a broad range of topics including (1) The current state of knowledge and research and the relevant gaps in knowledge and research about the epidemiology, etiologies, biomarkers and risk factors relating to CFS, and identifying potential opportunities in these areas; (2) impact and implications of current and proposed diagnosis and treatment methods for CFS; (3) development and implementation of programs to inform the public, health care professionals, and the biomedical academic and research communities about CFS advances; and (4) partnering to improve the quality of life of CFS patients.

The agenda for this meeting is being developed. The agenda will be posted on the CFSAC Web site, http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs , when it is finalized. The meeting will be recorded and archived for on-demand viewing through the CFSAC Web site. It will be available by audio on both days and the call-in numbers will be posted on the CFSAC Web site.

Public attendance at the meeting is open. Those attending the meeting will need to sign-in prior to entering the meeting room. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should notify the designated contact person at cfsac@hhs.gov in advance.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide oral testimony on both days of the meeting; pre-registration for oral testimony is required. Individuals who wish to address the Committee during the public comment session must pre-register by Wednesday, October 26, 2011, via e-mail to cfsac@hhs.gov. Time slots for public comment will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be limited to five minutes per speaker; no exceptions will be made. Priority will be given to individuals who have not presented public comment at previous CFSAC meetings. Individuals registering for public comment should submit a copy of their oral testimony in advance to cfsac@hhs.gov, prior to the close of business on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. If you wish to remain anonymous, please notify the CFSAC support team staff upon submission of your materials to cfsac@hhs.gov.

If you do not submit your written testimony by the close of business Wednesday, October 26, 2011, you may bring a copy to the meeting and present it to a CFSAC support team staff member. Your testimony will be included in a notebook available for viewing by the public on a table at the back of the meeting room.

Individuals who do not provide public comment at the meeting, but who wish to have printed material distributed to CFSAC members for review should submit, at a minimum, one copy of the material to the Designated Federal Officer at cfsac@hhs.gov prior to close of business on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Submitted documents should be limited to five typewritten pages. If you wish to remain anonymous, please notify the CFSAC support team staff upon submitting your materials to cfsac@hhs.gov .

All testimony and printed material submitted for the meeting are part of the official meeting record and will be uploaded to the CFSAC Web site; this material will be made available for public inspection. Testimony and materials submitted should not include any sensitive personal information, such as a person’s social security number; date of birth; driver’s license number, State identification number or foreign country equivalent; passport number; financial account number; or credit or debit card number. Sensitive health information, such as medical records or other personal identifiable health information, or any non-public corporate or trade association information, such as trade secrets or other proprietary information also should be excluded from any materials submitted.

Dated: September 30, 2011.

Nancy C. Lee,

Designated Federal Officer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee.

[FR Doc. 2011-25739 Filed 10-4-11; 8:45 am]

On October 14, I received the following clarifications from Mr Emmett Nixon, (HHS/OAHS) CFSAC Support Team, in response to queries first raised with Dr Nancy Lee, on October 11, concerning the arrangements for the recording and streaming of this meeting and the rationale behind the change of venue.

Mr Nixon’s response (October 14, 2011):

“We have heard concerns about changes we have made in the venue and the format of the upcoming 2011 November Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee meeting. Below we provide additional details about the meeting.

“We are working diligently to address major shifts in budget restrictions and protecting the personal safety of the public attending the meeting. We have moved the Fall CFSAC meeting to the Holiday Inn 550 C. St. SW, Columbia Room, Washington, D.C. 20024. This change was made because the HHS Humphrey Building Room 800 cannot accommodate more than 50 persons, and we are required to escort all persons attending the meeting due to security measures in place. The Columbia room at the Holiday inn holds a maximum of 300 people and provides an opportunity for the public to move freely about the hotel, rest in their rooms and use open hotel areas including the hotel cafeteria and restaurant. HHS will continue to provide a quiet area in the rear of the Columbia room to accommodate those needing a place to rest. HHS will not provide any medical services.

“There will be a live audio link to the two day meeting, which allows listeners to hear the entire meeting in real time. Due to budgetary considerations, we are unable to provide a live-video cast as previously arranged. We will provide a video recording of the meeting on the CFSAC webpage http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs . This recording will provide a higher quality video at substantially lower cost.

“Time slots for public testimony will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to five minutes per speaker. Priority will be given to individuals who have not given public testimony in previous meetings. Three hours have been allotted for public testimony. As before, we will accommodate persons who want to provide their testimony by telephone.

“The CFSAC Support Team”

On October 17, I wrote again to Mr Nixon, CC Dr Nancy Lee and Dr Chris Snell, Chair, CFSAC Committee, requesting that the decision not to provide live video streaming be reviewed, citing the issue of accessability to a public meeting by a patient group with disabilities, sensory processing difficulties and cognitive impairment and that a precedent had been set in May 2009 when video streaming was introduced for these meetings, which are viewed live not just in the US, but internationally.

In raising this issue with CFSAC Support Team, I have presented my concerns as an individual and have no connection with any other initiatives or approaches that might be being made to the Committee in respect of similar concerns over the arrangements for this November meeting.

Related material

Discussion of proposals for coding of CFS for ICD-10-CM at May 10-11, 2011 CFSAC meeting

Position statement (ICD-10-CM proposed coding issue)

Position statement (ICD-10-CM proposed coding issue)

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3kj

25 September 2011

Since I continue to be misrepresented on at least one platform I am reluctantly publishing a public position statement.

ME agenda is the name of one of several WordPress sites that I own. The site name was registered with WordPress in 2007. ME agenda is also the username I use on Facebook, Twitter and on a number of other internet platforms.

Within the last few days, ME agenda has several times been referred to as “a group” on Phoenix Rising forum and elsewhere. I have already clarified that ME agenda is not a “group” nor any kind of organisation.

On the Disclaimer page of my Dx Revision Watch website it states:

“Dx Revision Watch is not an organisation.

“This site has no connection with and is not endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Psychiatric Publishing Inc., World Health Organisation (WHO) or any other organisation, institution, corporation or company.

“This site has no affiliations with any commercial or not-for-profit organisation. The site operates independently of any patient or advocacy organisation or group.

“This site does not accept advertising, sponsorship, funding or donations and has no commercial links with any organisation, institution, corporation, company or individual.”

On my ME agenda website Disclaimer page it also states:

“ME agenda is not an organisation.

“This site has no connection with and is not endorsed by any organisation, institution, corporation or company. The site has no affiliations with any commercial or not-for-profit organisation and operates independently of any patient or advocacy organisation or group.

“This site does not accept advertising, sponsorship, funding or donations and has no commercial links with any organisation, institution, corporation, company or individual.”

So ME agenda is not “a group”; does not function as “a group” nor as any form of organisation, and the name ME agenda and my websites are associated only with one individual – myself.

The advocacy work that I do under my own name and in association with the name ME agenda is undertaken as an individual with an interest in a specific health area, as a primary carer of a young adult. I do not claim a mandate to represent others and the views and opinions I hold are the views and opinions of a single individual.

I therefore request that neither I nor ME agenda nor my websites are referred to on any platform as “a group”, since this is erroneous and misrepresents me.

It has also been misstated on Phoenix Rising forum and elsewhere, that I am “trying to get CFS reclassified as ME.”

This is not the case and again, misrepresents my position. My position is this:

I consider as an individual, not as any form of “group”, since I am not any form of “group”:

that it will hurt patients if Chronic fatigue syndrome is coded in ICD-10-CM under Chapter 18, the chapter for “Symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions”, under “R53.82 Chronic fatigue, unspecified > Chronic fatigue syndrome NOS”;

that Chronic fatigue syndrome should be coded to the “G93” parent class, in line with ICD-10, ICD-10-CA (Canada) and ICD-10-GM (Germany), and in line with ICD-11 proposals that Chronic fatigue syndrome should be classified within Chapter 6: Diseases of the nervous system;

that classifying Chronic fatigue syndrome under the Chapter 18 “R” codes, in ICD-10-CM, will render patients more vulnerable to the proposals of the DSM-5 “Somatic Symptom Disorders” workgroup.

These are views shared by other advocates, patients and carers, internationally, by the US CFSAC Committee (the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee that provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services) and by a number of US 501(c)(3) registered patient advocacy organisations.

At no time have I stated or implied that I am “trying to get CFS reclassified as ME”.

It should also be noted that I have had no involvement in or input into the initiative of the US Coalition4ME/CFS to make representations to the NCHS Committee responsible for updates to the US specific ICD-9-CM and development of ICD-10-CM, which replaces ICD-9-CM in October 2013.

I hope this makes my position clear and I trust that there will be no future misrepresentation of my views or my actions on any platform.

Discussion of the issue of the long-standing proposals for the coding of Chronic fatigue syndrome in ICD-10-CM was on the agenda of the meeting of the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee which took place on September 14.

An audio of this meeting and PDFs of meeting materials can be accessed from this page on the CDC website:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd9cm_maintenance.htm

These materials and links and related ICD-10-CM coding issue material will be added to this site in due course.

Suzy Chapman
_____________________

http://dxrevisionwatch.wordpress.com
https://meagenda.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/MEagenda
http://twitter.com/MEagenda

Posting of revised draft proposals for DSM-5 criteria postponed until August

The APA has postponed the release of revised draft proposals for DSM-5 criteria by three months

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3hZ

Slip slidin’ away…

[Information superceded by second and third DSM-5 draft propoals.]

[1] Screenshot iCAT, ICD-11: Chapter 5: F45 – F48.0: http://dxrevisionwatch.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/2icatchapter5f45somatoform.png

[2] Article: Erasing the interface between psychiatry and medicine (DSM-5), Chapman S, 13 February 2011: http://wp.me/pKrrB-Vn

[3] Article: Revisions to DSM-5 proposals on 14.01.11: New category proposed “Simple Somatic Symptom Disorder, Chapman S, 16 January 2011: http://wp.me/pKrrB-St

[4] DSM-5 Development website: http://www.dsm5.org/about/Pages/Timeline.aspx

Ian Swales, MP amends his understanding of government policy on CFS and ME

Ian Swales, MP amends his understanding of government policy on CFS and ME terminology (Three Parliamentary errors)

Shortlink Post: http://wp.me/p5foE-3hH

On 2 February 2011, Ian Swales (Lib Dem, Redcar) addressed a Parliamentary Adjournment Debate on ME. During that debate, the Health Minister, Paul Burstow, had stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition.

This was incorrect. The WHO does not use the composite terms “CFS/ME” or “ME/CFS”.

In a Parliamentary Written Answer to Mr Swales, dated 16 February, the Health Minister corrected his error [1].

Mr Burstow had clarified:

“…During the Westminster Hall debate, on 4 February 2011, I said that the World Health Organisation uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition. This was incorrect.

“The World Health Organisation classes benign myalgic encephalomyelitis and post viral fatigue syndrome under the same classification G93.3 ‘diseases of the nervous system’; subheading ‘other disorders of the brain’.

“The report of the CFS/ME Working Group to the Chief Medical Officer, in January in 2002, suggested that the composite term CFS/ME be used as an umbrella term for this condition, or spectrum of disease. This term is also used by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for their clinical guidelines.

“We do, however, intend to seek further advice on our classification and will update the hon. Member in due course.”

[Note that although Health Minister, Paul Burstow, gave the date of Ian Swales’ Adjournment Debate as “4 February” in his Written Answer of 16 February, the Debate took place on 2 February 2011.]

On 17 February, Mr Swales published a report on his website which went out under the title “Swales wins battle with Government on ME”. This report had claimed:

“Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses.”

But Mr Swales had misinterpreted the content of the Written Answer he had received from the Health Minister.

This has caused much confusion amongst ME and CFS patients.

Advocates have raised this misunderstanding with Mr Swales and with his Parliamentary Researcher.

Today, an amended report has been published on Mr Swales’ website under the same URL and date, but with a new title – this time it is called:

“Swales corrects Minister on World Health Organisation definition of ME”

I am appending both versions.

To recap, because this is important, and because there is a further error:

Paul Burstow, Health Minister, incorrectly stated on 2 February, during an Adjournment Debate, that the WHO uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition. That error was corrected by Mr Burstow in his Written Answer of 17 February.

Ian Swales, MP, then claimed in a website report that he had succeeded in getting the government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses. This was a misinterpretation of Mr Burstow’s own correction and clarification. Mr Swales’ Parliamentary Office has now amended his report.

The Countess of Mar, meanwhile, tabled a Written Question of her own for which a response was provided on 1 March, by Earl Howe [3].

The Countess of Mar had tabled:

“To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Minister of State for Health, Paul Burstow, on 2 February (Official Report, Commons, col. 327) that the World Health Organisation (WHO) described myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and that this was the convention followed by the Department, in light of the fact that the WHO International Classification of Diseases 10 lists ME as a neurological disease with post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) under G93.3 and CFS as a mental health condition under F48.0 and that the latter specifically excludes PVFS, whether they will adhere to that classification.”

The response received on 1 March, was:

Earl Howe (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Quality), Health; Conservative)

“The department will continue to use the composite term chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) for this condition, or spectrum of disease, as suggested by the Chief Medical Officer in his 2002 report. We recognise the condition as neurological in nature.”

But the Countess of Mar’s Written Question also contains an error.

In the International version of ICD-10 (the version used in the UK and over 110 other countries, but not in the US which uses a “Clinical Modification” of ICD-9), CFS is not classified as a mental health condition under F48.0.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is listed in ICD-10 Volume 3: The Alphabetical Index, where it is indexed to G93.3, the same code as Postviral fatigue syndrome.

So in International ICD-10, Postviral fatigue syndrome, Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue syndrome are all three coded or indexed to G93.3 under “G93 Other disorders of brain”, in Chapter VI (6): Diseases of the nervous system.

In International ICD-10, the Mental and behavioural disorders chapter is Chapter V (5).

http://www.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/?gf40.htm+f480

Chapter V (5) Mental and behavioural disorders

Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders are coded between (F40-F48)

Neurasthenia
Fatigue syndrome

are classified under (F40-F48) at F48.0, which specifically Excludes

malaise and fatigue ( R53 )

and

postviral fatigue syndrome ( G93.3 )

So now you know what UK government policy is and that Mr Swales had misled himself.

The forthcoming US specific ICD-10-CM

Perhaps the focus can now return to more pressing issues – like the fact that in the US, a Partial Code Freeze is looming for the forthcoming US specific version of ICD-10, known as “ICD-10-CM”.

Under longstanding proposals, the committees developing ICD-10-CM intend to retain Chronic fatigue syndrome in the R codes, and code it under R53 Malaise and fatigue, at R53.82 Chronic fatigue syndrome (NOS), but propose to code for PVFS and ME in Chapter 6, under G93.3.

The R codes chapter (which will be Chapter 18 in ICD-10-CM) is the chapter for

“Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)”

“This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.”

Coding CFS patients under R53.82 will consign them to a dustbin diagnosis: there are no guarantees that clinicians will use the unfamiliar ME code or that insurance companies will reimburse for G93.3. It will make patients more vulnerable to the proposals of the DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group. It will mean that ICD-10-CM will be out of line with at least four versions of ICD-10, including the Canadian “Clinical Modification”, and also out of line with the forthcoming ICD-11, where all three terms are proposed to be coded in Chapter 6 Diseases of the nervous system.

There are only seven months left before the 1 October Code Freeze and the clock is ticking.

Here is the first version of Mr Swales’ website report, followed by his amended version.

Version One:

http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me

Swales wins battle with Government on ME

February 17, 2011 3:45 PM

Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses.

During Ian’s recent parliamentary debate on ME he argued that the Government needs to distinguish between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME to provide better treatment for the different illnesses.

However, Health Minister Paul Burstow MP responded by saying that the World Health Organisation classifies Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME as the same illness.

Following an outcry from the ME community about this statement, Ian challenged the Minister on his definition of CFS/ME. The Minister admitted that the definition he used in the debate was “incorrect”.

Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:

“I am pleased that the Government has now recognised that ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are two different illnesses.

“After the debate I received a lot of correspondence from the ME community about the Government’s definition of CFS/ME, so after doing some more research on the matter I decided it was right to clarify this point with the Minister. I know they will be reassured by this news.

“I hope that approaching ME as a distinct condition will help lead to better, more effective treatment for sufferers through better analysis of their possible different causes and symptoms.”

[Ends]

Version Two:

http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me

Swales corrects Minister on World Health Organisation definition of ME

February 17, 2011 3:45 PM

Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to acknowledge that the World Health Organisation does not use the composite term CFS/ME for the condition.

During Ian’s recent parliamentary debate on ME he argued that the Government needs to distinguish between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME to provide better treatment for the different illnesses.

However, Health Minister Paul Burstow MP responded by saying that the World Health Organisation “uses the composite term CFS/ME for the condition”.

Following an outcry from the ME community about this statement, Ian challenged the Minister on his definition of CFS/ME. The Minister admitted that his statement was “incorrect”.

Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:

“I am pleased that the Minister has acknowledged the error he made in the debate.

“After the debate I received a lot of correspondence from the ME community about the Government’s definition of CFS/ME, so after doing some more research on the matter I decided it was right to clarify this point with the Minister. I know they will be reassured by this news.

“I will continue my campaign to get more effective treatment for sufferers of ME through better analysis of its causes and symptoms.”

[Ends]

The text of the Adjournment Debate can be read here, on Hansard
2 Feb 2011 : Column 323WH

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
4.13 pm

Watch video, here, on BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9382000/9382412.stm

References:

[1] Written Answer: Paul Burstow to Ian Swales, 16 February 2011, 16 Feb 2011 : Column 864W:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110216/text/110216w0004.htm

[2] Amended Ian Swales website report:
http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me

[3] Written Answer: Earl Howe to The Countess of Mar, 01 March 2011:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-03-01a.297.1

Hansard for above:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110301w0001.htm#11030162000766

[4] Hansard, House of Lords Debate: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, 22 January 2004:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldhansrd/vo040122/text/40122-12.htm

[5] Current codings in ICD-10 for Postviral fatigue syndrome; [Benign] myalgic encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue syndrome:
http://dxrevisionwatch.wordpress.com/icd-11-me-cfs/

“CFS orphaned in the “R” codes in US ICD-10-CM” and “Erasing the interface between psychiatry and medicine” (DSM-5)

Two new posts on Dx Revision Watch

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3h3

“CFS orphaned in the “R” codes in US specific ICD-10-CM”

http://wp.me/pKrrB-V4

and

“Erasing the interface between psychiatry and medicine” (DSM-5)

http://wp.me/pKrrB-Vn

New category proposal for DSM-5: “Simple Somatic Symptom Disorder”

New category proposal for DSM-5: “Simple Somatic Symptom Disorder”

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3gz

The most recent proposals of the DSM-5 “Somatic Symptoms Disorders” Work Group plus two key Disorder Description and Rationale PDF documents can be read on the APA’s DSM-5 Development site here:

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/SomatoformDisorders.aspx

The two key Somatic Symptoms Disorders Work Group Draft Proposal documents:

Revised Disorder Descriptions: Version 1/14/11

Revised Justification of Criteria Version 1/31/11

On 16 January, I reported on my Dx RevisionWatch site that the page for current DSM-5 proposals for the revision of the DSM-IV categories and diagnostic criteria for “Somatoform Disorders” had been updated on 14 January, with a new category proposal called “Simple Somatic Symptom Disorder”.

This proposal is in addition to the recommendations of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group, published in February 2010, for grouping a number of existing Somatoform categories under a common rubric “Complex Somatic Symptom Disorder (CSSD)” and does not replace “CSSD”.

For full details see Dx Revision Watch Post #56: http://wp.me/pKrrB-St

[Information superceded by second and third DSM-5 draft.]

Update @ 7 February 2011

The Justification of Criteria document has now been revised by the SSD Work Group to incorporate the new proposal for SSSD and some further revisions, and is replaced by a document designated DRAFT 1/31/11.

I shall be monitoring the DSM-5 Development website and if there are any further revisions to either document before the DSM-5 beta is published I will update this site.

Two key Somatic Symptoms Disorders Work Group Draft Proposal documents:

Revised Justification of Criteria Version 1/31/11

Revised Disorder Descriptions: Version 1/14/11

According to the APA’s DSM-5 Development Timeline, beta draft proposals are scheduled to be published by the DSM-5 Task Force in May-June, with a public review period of only around a month. The public review and comment period for the first draft, last year, had been around ten weeks.

The following patient organisations have been alerted to these revisions and sent copies of the key documents:

UK patient organisations:

Heather Walker, Action for M.E.
Neil Riley, Chair, Board of Trustees, ME Association
25% ME Group
Invest in ME
Jane Colby, The Young ME Sufferers Trust

US patient organisations and professionals:

Dr Alan Gurwitt, Massachusetts Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy and Fibromyalgia Association (Mass. CFIDS/ME & FM)
Dr Kenneth Friedman, IACFS/ME
Jennie Spotila, CFIDS Association of America
Dr Lenny Jason

International patient organisations and professionals:

ESME (European Society for ME)
Dr Eleanor Stein, Canada

Changes to ME agenda WordPress site

Changes to ME agenda WordPress site

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-3bP

Yesterday, I posted a House of Lords Written Question that has been tabled by the Countess of Mar, on 21 October, in which questions are raised about the ethical approval of the Dr Esther Crawley led Lightning Process pilot study in children. A Written Answer is expected on 4 November and I shall publish that answer here.

There have also been some developments with the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) which I am not involved in, myself, but I will report on those developments as more information becomes available.

I maintain several WordPress sites and I shall continue to post alerts on this site to new material published on my Dx Revision Watch site – the concept for which developed out of research and awareness raising undertaken throughout 2009 around the forthcoming revisions of two important international disease classification systems: the (APA) American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and the World Health Organization International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).

Other than that, I do not intend to post further material on ME agenda site.

I don’t like the nonsense that passes for rational discourse so often in our society. I am very much bothered by the inaccuracies, ambiguities, code words, slogans, catch phrases, public relation devices, sweeping generalizations, and stereotypes, which are used (consciously or otherwise) to influence people.

I am bothered by the inability of many to recognize these for what they are. I am bothered by the way people fudge issues, or are unable to clarify them, sometimes because they are inhibited by “collegiality” and other forms of intimidation (sometimes subtle, sometimes not). Most people put up with the nonsense without doing anything about it (unable or unwilling, for whatever reason – inertia, lack, of energy, lack of interest, lack of time, etc.), often falling into cynicism and despair.

I am bothered by the misinformation which gets disseminated uncritically through the media and by the obstructions which prevent correct information from being disseminated. These obstructions come about in many ways – personal, institutional, through self-imposed inhibitions, through external inhibitions, through outright dishonesty, through incompetence – the list is a long one.

I am bothered by the way misinformation, disguised as scholarship, is used in social, political, and educational contexts to affect policy decisions.

I am bothered by the way misinformation is accepted uncritically, and by the way people are unable to recognize it or reject it.

Serge Lang The File: Case Study in Correction 1977-1979 (1981)

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Fall CFSAC meeting

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Slip slidin’ away…

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The forthcoming US specific ICD-10-CM

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Update @ 7 February 2011

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