Mental health has been in the news lately. Most of it is focused on the relationship between mental health issues and guns. Some of the focus surrounds the final stages for updating the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV as it has chugged along to the DSM V that is due out this month. Other changes were largely cosmetic.
One cosmetic change, done in 2012 is ICD codes 317, 318 and 319 got revised descriptions. In 2011 the ICD-9 code 317 was described as Mild Mental Retardation. In 2012 the ICD-9 code 317 was changed to Mild Intellectual Disabilities. The ICD-10 code F70 is also described as Mild Intellectual Disabilities. The ICD-9 code 318 and 319 also had descriptions changed to read various levels and degrees of Intellectual Disabilities.
I remember my initial reaction to this change. I wondered if it was going to take as long for me to relearn this description as it did for me to convert HCFA to CMS? This simply changed the words describing a a patient's cognitive condition. It won't change their care, improve their outcomes or offer any improvement other than a euphemistic change in how they are labeled. I instantly knew why the change occurred, but I don't think it will change how the world perceives these patients.