Webinar 76: ICD 11 Dr Islam Ibrahim

Australia's ICD-11 Crossroads

The International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) became the WHO's official standard in January 2022, offering a more detailed, digitally oriented structure than its predecessor ICD-10, with enhanced coding for conditions, causes, and health interventions.

Australia continues to rely on its modified version, ICD-10-AM (Australian Modification), integrated with the Australian Classification of Health Interventions (ACHI) and Australian Coding Standards (ACS). These underpin admitted patient data reporting, activity-based funding in public hospitals, and national health statistics.

As of February 2026, no commitment exists to switch to ICD-11. The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) lead efforts through the Australian ICD-11 Task Force, established in 2021. Their roadmap targets completion of evaluation activities by June 2026, feeding into a business case for decision-makers later that year.

Recent milestones include gold-standard mappings from ICD-10-AM to ICD-11, expected to finish early 2026, and engagement with Deloitte for a cost-benefit analysis exploring a 2031 implementation date. Public consultations in late 2025 sought input on implications for funding classifications and system-wide integration.

The stakes are high for hospitals and state health departments, which depend on accurate coding for billions in annual funding allocations. Transitioning requires overhauling electronic health record systems, retraining thousands of clinical coders, and validating data quality during any dual-coding period—potentially costing tens of millions while risking errors in morbidity statistics or payment disputes if rushed.

A non-obvious tension lies in Australia's export of its ICD-10-AM suite to 20 countries; shifting to ICD-11 could erode this revenue stream or force parallel maintenance, complicating the business case. Meanwhile, 'greenfield' opportunities in areas like aged care, primary care, or mental health—where no entrenched classification dominates—could allow smaller-scale pilots with less disruption.

Globally, over 130 WHO member states are at varying implementation stages, but Australia's cautious, evidence-driven approach reflects the complexity of its federated health system and heavy reliance on coded data for financing.

The webinar on 4 March 2026, hosted by the Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) and presented by Dr Islam Ibrahim, arrives amid these intensifying preparations, highlighting the topic's urgency in professional circles.