German coding guidelines

The German coding guidelines stipulate how diagnoses and operations (including diagnostic procedures) are to be recorded in patients treated as inpatients in the German healthcare system. For the outpatient sector, the so-called outpatient coding guidelines ( AKR ) were originally supposed to be introduced on January 1, 2011 , but this was suspended. The basis of the systematic structure is the key system ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Release 10, German modification). For this purpose, reference is made to the operation and procedure key (OPS) in the current version (currently OPS-301). The OPS keys are also structured on the basis of the ICD-10-GM. These keys form the basis for the classification of the services for the individual treated patient in each case. These keys thus form the entry codes for further encryption according to the German DRG system .

The German coding guidelines are drawn up, further developed and published annually by the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK GmbH) in cooperation with the German Hospital Society (DKG), the National Association of Health Insurance Funds (GKV) and the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV). The legal basis for this is the Hospital Financing Act (KHG) and the Hospital Remuneration Act (KHEntgG). The introduction took place using the Australian coding guidelines that had been used there for a long time.

The set of rules has been regularly improved since 2003. For this purpose, there is a proposal procedure regulated by laws and ordinances.

Web links

• German coding guidelines 2013 at InEK