PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre Spotlight Series
Reference Number: ARG-36
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for the Family of International Classifications
Institution: Dirección de Estadísticas e Información de Salud (DEIS), Ministerio de Salud de la Nación
Reference Number: CUB-25*
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for the Family of International Classifications
Institution: Cuban Centre for Classification of Diseases (CECUCE), Ministry of Public Health
Reference Number: CAN-80
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Classification, Terminology and Standards
Institution: Institute for Public Health (IPH), University of Calgary
Reference Number: MEX-23
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for the Family of International Classifications
Institution: Classifications of Information on Health, General Direction of Health Information, Ministry of Health
Reference Number: USA-148
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for the Family of International Classifications
Institution: Classifications and Public Health Data Standards, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reference Number: USA-388
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Classifications, Terminologies and Standards
Institution: Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University
Category 4 (SP 14-19)
Outcome 20 (SP 20-25)
Dr. Vilma Gawryszeski, Advisor, Health Information and Analysis and Mr. Marcelo D’Agostino, Senior Advisor, Information Systems for Health, are the PAHO staff members who act as the Region’s focal point and also has a supporting role to the WHO focal point to coordinate the collaboration between the institution and the Organization.
The main activities of these Centres include: (1) developing and maintaining training courses for coding of the Family of International Classifications (FIC) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10); (2) translating the ICD-11 into Spanish; (3) ensuring consistent mortality coding across the Region; and (4) maintaining the International Collaborative Authoring Tool (iCAT).
The Centre at DEIS in coordination with CEMECE through the Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para el fortalecimiento de los Sistemas de Salud (RELACSIS) has created several online courses on the accurate completion of death certificates and medical information coding. These courses are tutor-led by various countries across the Region and are available through PAHO’s Virtual Campus. In addition to these courses, the Centre at DEIS assists with disseminating updates of the ICD-10 in Spanish and translating ICD-11 chapters into Spanish.
The Centre at CEMECE has led many workshops on Intentional Search and Reclassification of Maternal Mortality. These workshops aim to share concepts, techniques, and electronic application related to coding maternal deaths. The Centre also assisted with the Spanish translation of the ICD-11 and collaborates with Centro Argentino de Clasificación de Enfermedades (CACE) to lead online training for the ICD-10. The Centre at CEMECE also participated and contributed to the improvement of the automated mortality coding system with the IRIS Institute. Lastly, the Centre manages the “Roberto A. Becker” ICD forum to provide responses to inquiries posed by coders in Latin America.
The Centre within the Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Department, CDC, conducted trainings to improve the consistency of mortality information and implementation of ICD for the United States and Canada. The Centre also coordinated activities in three major aspects of classification: mortality, morbidity, and disability and works with other Collaborating Centres to promote and coordinate ICD and FIC applications.
The Cuban Centre for Classification of Diseases (CECUCE) has collaborated with PAHO/WHO to assist with the strengthening and use of ICD-10 to improve the quality of vital statistics within Cuba. In addition, the Centre has collected results and lessons learned from piloting the ICD-11 within Cuba for future use.
The Centre at Stanford’s Center for Biomedical Informatics works with WHO to produce deliverables related to the development and maintenance of the Family of Classifications including the development of systems, field tests and production of training courses in English.
The Centre at the Institute for Public Health produced deliverables related to the maintenance of the International Collaborative Authoring Tool (iCAT) and other media-related aspects for electronic health systems.
Webnotes such as these serve to inform how Collaborating Centres are contributing to the Organization’s priorities and mandates.
*Subsequent to this Webnote, this Centre has expired.