The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. The Australian Collaborating Centre assists the WHO with their efforts to support national and international health information systems, statistics and evidence. The collaborating centre is part of a network of collaborating centres that contribute the development, dissemination, maintenance and use of products that help categorise concepts in health and the health system.
WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC)
The three core products that network is responsible called reference classifications and cover seven areas: diseases, health problems, body function, body structure, activity, participation and interventions.
The Network also look after other classifications that are either based on (derived classifications) or separate to (related classifications) these three reference classifications. Together, the classifications are known as the Family of International Classifications and the network of collaborating centres is known as the WHO-FIC Network.
These products are used in different ways across different countries. Tables 1, 2 and 3 below describe how the different classifications of the WHO-FIC Network are used in Australia.
Table 1. Reference classifications and their use in Australia
Reference classifications
Classifications that cover the main areas of health and the health system. These classifications are maintained by the WHO. |
Name and link |
Subject area |
Use in Australia |
ICD
International Classification of Diseases
ICD-10 2016 (current)
ICD-11 |
Diseases
Health problems
Body structures
|
Mortality statistics (cause of death)
|
ICF
International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
ICF 2017 (current)
|
Body function
Disability
Activity
Participation
Environmental health
|
Population surveys
Measuring health and disability
|
ICHI
International Classification of Health Interventions
ICHI Beta-2 2018
|
Interventions
Procedures
|
Classification under development, not used in Australia
|
Table 2. Derived classifications and their use in Australia
There are a number of derived classifications in the WHO-FIC. Only the ones in use in Australia are shown in Table 2.
Derived classifications
Classifications that are based on one or more reference classifications. These classifications are maintained by the WHO. |
Name and link |
Subject area |
Use in Australia |
ICD-10-AM
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, Australian Modification
ICD-10-AM 10th edition (current)
|
Diseases
Health problems
Body structures
|
Morbidity statistics (disease)
|
ICD-O
International Classification of Oncology
ICD-O-3
|
Oncology
|
Cancer registry
Cancer reporting
|
ICD Mental Health
ICD Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnostic Criteria for Research
ICD-10 : DCR-10 (file download)
|
Mental Health
|
No official implementation
|
ICD-NA
Application of the International Classification of Diseases to Neurology
ICD-10-NA (file download)
|
Neurology
|
No official implementation
|
ICD-DA
Application of the International Classification of Diseases to Dentistry and Stomatology
ICD-DA (3rd edition)
|
Dentistry
Oral health
|
No official implementation
|
Table 3. Related classifications and their use in Australia.
Related classifications
Classifications that describe important aspects of health or the health system, and not covered by the reference or derived classifications. |
Name and link |
Subject area |
Use in Australia |
ICPC
International Classification of Primary Care
ICPC-2
Maintained by: Wonca International Classification Committee (WICC)
ICPC-2 PLUS
Maintained by: Family Medicine Research Centre (FMRC)
|
Primary care
General practice
|
Electronic health records
|
ICECI
International Classification of External Causes of Injury
ICECI
Maintained by: ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group.
|
External causes
|
Injury surveillance
National Coronial Information System
|
ATC-DDD
Anatomical, Therapeutic, Chemical classification system with Daily Defined Doses
ICD-10-NA (file download)
Maintained by: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology
|
Therapeutic drugs
|
Drug utilisation research
|
ISO 9999
Technical aids for persons with disabilities
ISO 9999:2016
Maintained by: International Organization for Standardization
|
Technical aids
|
Disability services data collection
|
ICNP
International Classification for Nursing Practice
ICNP
Maintained by: International Council of Nurses
|
Nursing practice
|
|
Table 4. Australian classifications
Australian classifications
These classifications are maintained by the Australian Consortium for Classification Development (ACCD) and are governed by the rules set out in the Australian Coding Standards (ACS) volume of the ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS classification system. |
Name and link |
Subject area |
Initially derived from |
ICD-10-AM
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, Australian Modification
ICD-10-AM 10th edition (current)
|
Diseases
Health problems
Body structures
|
ICD-10
|
ACHI
Australian Classification of Health Interventions
ACHI 10th edition (current)
|
Interventions
Procedures
|
Medicare Benefits Schedule
|
WHO-FIC committee and reference groups
A number of experts from the different collaborating centres, including those from the Australian Collaborating Centre, sit on committees to work on an area of the Network’s work plan. The current WHO-FIC Committees are:
- Education and Implementation Committee (EIC)
- Family Development Committee (FDC)
- Informatics and Terminology Committee (ITC)
- Classification and Statistics Advisory Committee (CSAC)
The reference groups allow the Network to provide for more technical discussions and participation by a wider range of experts and interested parties. The current WHO-FIC Reference Groups are:
- Functioning and Disability Reference Group (FDRG)
- Morbidity Reference Group (MbRG)
- Mortality Reference Group (MRG)
Further details of the Australian Collaborating Centre
The Australian Collaborating Centre was originally designated by the WHO in 1991 and has successfully been redesignated since. The current head of the collaborating centre is Jenny Hargreaves, Senior Executive of the AIHW’s Hospitals, Resourcing and Classifications Group.
Members and observers from the Australian Collaborating Centres that sit on the various committee and reference groups can be found on the WHO Website under Committees & Reference Groups.
For further information on the work of the WHO-FIC Network or the Australian Collaborating Centre please contact the secretariat:
Further information
Postal address
|
Secretariat, Australian WHO-FIC Collaborating Centre
PO Box 570
Canberra
ACT 2601
|
Telephone
Facsimile
|
(02) 6244 1000 (International callers, please use +61 2 6244 1000)
(02) 6244 1299
|
Email address
|
[email protected] |