Family of international health-related classifications (FIC)

The family of international health-related classifications of the WHO includes three groups of classifications:

• Reference classifications

  • ICD - International Classification of Diseases
  • ICF - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
  • ICHI -International Classification of Health Intervention (under development)
• Derived classifications such as e.g. ICD-O-3, derived from one of the reference classifications
• Related classifications , i.e. classifications such as ATC/DDD, with close links to the reference classifications and often used in conjunction with them in practice, but not developed by the WHO.

Further development of the family of international health-related classifications

A collaboration of WHO Collaborating Centres specifically set up for this purpose works with the WHO on the further development of classifications, particularly of the three reference classifications.

From 2003 until 2020, DIMDI was named "WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications" for German-speaking areas and plays an active role in the maintenance and development process. Since May 2020 BfArM as legal successor is confirmed as WHO Collaborating Centre.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Classifications

The WHO Family of International Classifications

World Health Organization Family of International Classifications: definition, scope and purpose at WHO (PDF, 303 kB)