Covhisto: A Web Application for Cross-Version Visualization and Analysis of ICD-10-GM and OPS

Introduction: The ongoing development of medical coding systems such as ICD-10-GM and OPS presents challenges in ensuring compatibility across versions. This paper introduces Covhisto, a web application for visualizing and analysing changes across multiple versions. Methods: Covhisto uses crosswalk tables published by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and data processing pipeline to track changes between ICD-10-GM and OPS versions. Key features include methods for following individual code histories and analyzing structural changes in the coding systems. Results: Covhisto allows users to trace code evolution and identify changes not automatically captured. Unlike existing solutions, Covhisto creates a ConceptMap across all versions, offering a comprehensive view of changes over time. Conclusion: Finally, Covhisto complements existing solutions by making complex code changes more transparent and easier to understand, supporting healthcare professionals and researchers in their analyses and promoting interoperability of healthcare data.