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WHO Collaborating Centre

WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications

There is a close cooperation between BfArM and the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning the maintenance of the ICD-10, ICD-11, ICD-O-3 and the ICF. Since 1997 DIMDI participates regularly in the annual meetings of the WHO Collaborating Centres.

This cooperation was institutionalized by the WHO on 23rd June 2003 with the designation of the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications. In May 2024, BfArM was redesignated for the sixth time for another 4 years until May 2028.

Since a few years DIMDI was actively represented in several working groups of the WHO Collaborating Centres. Since May 2020 BfArM takes on these duties and responsibilities:

Council

The Council consists of several Centre Heads and Committee Chairs and is responsible for planning of the annual meetings of the Collaborating Centres and for continuing with the actual work between the annual meetings. The Council endorses all major decisions concerning the classifications.

Classification and Statistics Advisory Committee (CSAC)

The CSAC supports WHO and the WHO-FIC Network in keeping the reference classifications of the WHO-FIC in line with current knowledge, focusing on classificatory and statistical aspects.

Education and Implementation Committee (EIC)

The EIC developes curricula for the training and further education of the classification users and certification requirements for trained users. The EIC works on improving the implementation of the classifications in the member states and proposes solutions and remedies.

Family Development Committee (FDC)

The FDC promotes the integration of the WHO classifications into a suite or family of classifications. Currently it deals with health interventions, external causes of injuries and primary care. Furthermore, it analyses the need for further classifications and sets up quality criteria for their admission into the family.

Informatics and Terminology Committee (ITC)

The ITC supports the WHO and the WHO Classification Centres in the development of electronic tools and standards for classifications and their dissemination. The combined use of Terminologies and Classifications is discussed in this Committee and ways are evaluated on how to link these different systems reliable and stable over time.

Medical Scientific Advisory Committee (MSAC)

The MSAC reviews proposals and will be consulted on medical and scientific questions arising from the Network. MSAC is also responsible for providing advice on medical and scientific information.

Functioning and Disability Reference Group (FDRG)

The FDRG covers questions and problems concerning the ICF, the updates to ICF and prepares additional information for the use of ICF.

Morbidity Reference Group (MbRG)

The MbRG deals with all questions concerning morbidity coding. Future work will primarily focus on supporting WHO in the ICD-11 revision process.

Mortality Reference Group (MRG)

The MRG deals with all questions concerning mortality coding and clarifies problems related to the application of the coding guidelines.

Traditional Medicine Reference Group (TMRG)

The TMRG identifies and solves problems related to the interpretation and morbidity related application of the entities of Traditional Medicine (TM). The TMRG also supports the Classification and Statistical Advisory Committee (CSAC) in the ICD-11 maintenance process.

Verbal Autopsy Reference Group (VARG)

The verbal autopsy has become a primary source of information about causes of death for such cases where no physician is available, to medically certify the cause of death. In an attempt to standardise data collection by using verbal autopsy, WHO has developed a verbal autopsy instrument (standardized questionnaires) for routine use to support compilation of national mortality statistics.

On the website of WHO you will find further information on these working groups and an overview of the designated Collaborating Centres for the Family of International Classifications:

Collaborating Centres for the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC)