France announces computerised medical coding:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Information regarding the new computerised coding of specific medical procedures and diagnostic tests has been published in the French official journal. The new codes will replace the current system whereby doctors write a general code on patient forms to be forwarded to the Social Security department. Codes currently correspond to a simple reimbursement tariff, while the new computerised codes will be more specific and identify a particular procedure or test. The system will, however, require the consultation procedure to be fully computerised, which may not happen until the end of the century. Just 15% of non-hospital doctors are estimated to be on a computer network.