Imprecise Coding in Allergic Contact Dermatitis: A Register-Study From Northern Finland Between Years 1999 and 2022
Kämäräinen, Jenni; Loukkola, Touko; Mikkola, Joanna; Sivonen, Minna; Jokelainen, Jari; Kiviniemi, Eetu; Huilaja, Laura; Sinikumpu, Suvi-Päivikki (2024-12-30)
Wiley-Blackwell
30.12.2024
Kämäräinen, J., Loukkola, T., Mikkola, J., Sivonen, M., Jokelainen, J., Kiviniemi, E., Huilaja, L. and Sinikumpu, S.-P. (2025), Imprecise Coding in Allergic Contact Dermatitis: A Register-Study From Northern Finland Between Years 1999 and 2022. Contact Dermatitis, 92: 273-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.14744
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
© 2024 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
© 2024 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202501131131
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202501131131
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
Background:
Registry-based data are increasingly used in dermatological research. A recent epidemiological study has shown that the use of non-specific diagnostic codes is common among dermatologists.
Objectives:
To study closely the use of the diagnostic codes L23.8 (‘allergic contact dermatitis [ACD] for other agents’) and L23.9 (‘ACD with unspecified cause’) by using single-centre data.
Patients/Materials/Methods:
This retrospective study included all patients whose record contained at least one entry of either code, recorded at the Oulu University Hospital, Finland, between the Years 1999 and 2022.
Results:
The database search retrieved records of 472 patients with the L23.8 code, 264 patients with L23.9. Over the 20-year follow-up period, the use of L23.8 increased and that of L23.9 decreased. In most (85.1%) cases, the L23.8 code was used even though the more specified L23 code could have been chosen. In one-third of cases, L23.8 was used to cover ACD with multiple allergens that would otherwise be identified by their specific sub-codes. The L23.9 code was used most often prior to patch testing (69.1% cases).
Conclusions:
This study revealed several imprecisions in the use of both codes. Our study highlights the importance of correct coding in clinical practice, as it emphasises the most common pitfalls.
Background:
Registry-based data are increasingly used in dermatological research. A recent epidemiological study has shown that the use of non-specific diagnostic codes is common among dermatologists.
Objectives:
To study closely the use of the diagnostic codes L23.8 (‘allergic contact dermatitis [ACD] for other agents’) and L23.9 (‘ACD with unspecified cause’) by using single-centre data.
Patients/Materials/Methods:
This retrospective study included all patients whose record contained at least one entry of either code, recorded at the Oulu University Hospital, Finland, between the Years 1999 and 2022.
Results:
The database search retrieved records of 472 patients with the L23.8 code, 264 patients with L23.9. Over the 20-year follow-up period, the use of L23.8 increased and that of L23.9 decreased. In most (85.1%) cases, the L23.8 code was used even though the more specified L23 code could have been chosen. In one-third of cases, L23.8 was used to cover ACD with multiple allergens that would otherwise be identified by their specific sub-codes. The L23.9 code was used most often prior to patch testing (69.1% cases).
Conclusions:
This study revealed several imprecisions in the use of both codes. Our study highlights the importance of correct coding in clinical practice, as it emphasises the most common pitfalls.
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