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. 2007 Dec;13(6):422-5.
doi: 10.1136/ip.2007.015859.

Completeness and accuracy of International Classification of Disease (ICD) external cause of injury codes in emergency department electronic data

P R Hunt  1 , H Hackman, G Berenholz, L McKeown, L Davis, V Ozonoff
Affiliations

Completeness and accuracy of International Classification of Disease (ICD) external cause of injury codes in emergency department electronic data

P R Hunt et al. Inj Prev. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

The accuracy of external cause of injury codes (E codes) for work-related and non-work-related injuries in Massachusetts emergency department data were evaluated. Medical records were reviewed and coded by a nosologist with expertise in E coding for a stratified random sample of 1000 probable work-related (PWR) and 250 probable non-work-related (PNWR) cases. Cause of injury E codes were present for 98% of reviewed cases and accurate for 65% of PWR cases and 57% of PNWR cases. Place of occurrence E codes were present in less than 30% of cases. Broad cause of injury categories were accurate for about 85% of cases. Non-specific categories (not elsewhere classified, not specified) accounted for 34% of broad category misclassifications. Among specified causes, machinery injuries were misclassified most often (39/60, 65%), predominantly as cut/pierce or struck by/against. E codes reliably identify the broad mechanism of injury, but inaccuracies and incompleteness suggest areas for training of hospital admissions staff, providers, and coders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None.

This work was funded by grant number RO1 OH04262 from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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