Applying an ICD-10 to ICD-11 mapping tool to identify causes of death codes in an Alberta dataset

Background: The most recent and 11th revision of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11) is in use as of January 2022, and countries around the globe are now preparing for the implementation of ICD-11 and transition from the 10th revision (ICD-10). Translation of current coding is required for historical comparisons.

Methods: We applied the World Health Organization (WHO) mapping tables to current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Lists of ICD-10 coding of underlying causes of death to assess what ICD-11 codes look like in an Alberta sample of causes of death (COD). We prepared frequency tables for a single year of COD in Alberta based on the CDC grouping of COD.

Results: The mapping success rate at the ICD-10 code level for the adult population (> 18 years) was 96.6% and 100% for children (1-17 years) and infants (< 1 year). The mapping success rate by patient was 99.5% for the adult population patient deaths and 100% for children and infants. We mapped ICD-11 codes to identify the ten most frequently reported underlying COD in Alberta for 24,645 deaths in adults, children, and infants in 2017.

Conclusions: Apart from two codes, all ICD-10 codes could be mapped to ICD-11 for underlying COD. These findings suggest that the ability to translate from the two iterations of coding will be feasible for future applications of health services data.