Comparative mapping analysis reveals limited direct compatibility between ICPC and ICD-10 in primary care, indicating that full technical conversion requires rubric grouping.
Key Points
To evaluate the feasibility and structural compatibility of converting the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
Mapped 646 classes from the first and seventh components of ICPC to 1,983 classes of ICD-10, excluding the chapter on external causes.
Evaluated conversion compatibility at both the three-digit and four-digit ICD-10 levels to identify one-to-one matches and requirements for class aggregation.
Only 120 three-digit ICD-10 rubrics matched ICPC rubrics on a direct one-to-one basis, and 114 three-digit rubrics required division into four-digit rubrics to enable compatibility.
Only 25% of diagnostic classes in ICPC converted to a single three- or four-digit ICD-10 rubric without grouping (lumping) multiple categories.
A comprehensive technical conversion is practically achievable across all mapped rubrics, enabling primary care clinicians to utilize ICD-10 terminology within the ICPC framework.