In the healthcare sector, e.g. in outpatient and inpatient care, in the documentation and billing of healthcare services, for quality assurance and for healthcare statistics, planning and research, healthcare data is increasingly digitally recorded, stored, evaluated and exchanged electronically via data carriers or networks between the individuals, sectors, agencies and organizations involved. This use of digital technologies in healthcare is referred to as eHealth or e-health.

For this digital data exchange to operate seamlessly intersectoral and across national and international boundaries, unified and standardized documentation and communication procedures must be used to ensure that the data transmitted can be uniformly accessed and understood by the systems involved. This property of data and systems is referred to as semantic interoperability.

This also means, for example, that language-independent standardized numeric or alphanumeric codes are transmitted instead of free text, e.g., colloquial or technical diagnostic names. The assignment of free text and codes takes place via so-called code systems.

The code systems provided by BfArM, are grouped into classifications and terminologies.

Classifications

In medical classifications, facts or conditions are classified, i.e., several similar diagnoses are combined under a generic term to form a group and thus a code. Data aggregated in this way are used, for example, for billing and statistics. They are not always suitable for treatment purposes, as important detailed information can be lost through classification.

Read more

Terminologies

Medical terminologies represent facts or conditions in a differentiated and detailed manner; each individual piece of detailed information is specifically designated and has its own code. Terminologies are therefore particularly suitable for treatment purposes.

Read more

Cooperations and projects

BfArM cooperates in many ways on a national, EU and international level and is involved in many projects. For example, BfArM is WHO Collaborating Center for Classifications and responsible for Orphanet Germany.

Read more

Services

BfArM provides important services such as online classifications, downloads and coding questions. OIDs can be requested and the ICF book edition can be ordered. General questions are answered under FAQ.

Read more