What is the main purpose of the ICD-10-CM?

The primary purpose of the ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification) is to classify diagnoses and health conditions. This classification system provides a standardized way to code and categorize various health issues, which is crucial for accurate documentation, billing, and statistical analysis. The ICD-10-CM includes a wide range of codes that represent different types of diseases, injuries, and other health-related conditions, facilitating effective communication among healthcare providers and ensuring consistency in how conditions are recorded across different healthcare settings. By using this coding system, healthcare professionals can also better analyze health trends and manage public health data.

While classifying outpatient services, documenting procedures, and tracking demographics are important aspects of healthcare administration and management, they are not the central focus of the ICD-10-CM, which is specifically designed for the classification and coding of diagnoses.