Exploring the Ways to Apply Korean Traditional Medical Practices to the International Classification of Health Interventions through Focus Group Discussion
Article information
Abstract
Objectives
This study was aimed to present the experts’ opinions for the successful application of Korean traditional medical practices (KTMPs) to the International Classification of Health Intervention (ICHI).
Methods
Two doctors of Korean Medicine and two health information managers who had tried coding 131 KTMPs using ICHI participated in the focus group discussion. The remarks from the discussion were summarized according to the thematic analysis method.
Results
The participants expected ICHI to be mainly used for statistics when applied to TKMPs. It can be used for payment systems as well, but it was expected that additional work would be required. They thought the current version of the ICHI did not sufficiently reflect the KMTPs of the real world, and even the interventions already included in the ICHI were not explained enough in the system. They thought it would not be easy to explain more KTMPs within the current structure of the ICHI, but they also said it seemed possible. In the process, rather than adding entirely new stem codes, it would be better to generate new combinations of the existing codes, to suppose subdivided codes, and to utilize the include terms or extension codes.
Conclusions
For the successful introduction of ICHI, clarifying the definition of each intervention of KTMPs is a top priority. In addition, it is necessary to continue the matching work of ICHI - KMPTs and also required to make this effort together with the field of traditional medicine and complementary medicine worldwide.