Which of the following is designed to promote international comparability in the collection, processing, classification and presentation of mortality statistic?

Appeared in: RIMS Nursing Officer - 2022

Explanation

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the global standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management, and clinical purposes.
It is maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is used by all member states.
Its primary function is to allow for the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation, and comparison of mortality and morbidity data collected in different countries or areas and at different times.
This ensures international comparability in health statistics, which is the core of the question.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option B: This refers to a system that would be specific to India. The question asks for a system that promotes international comparability, making a national system incorrect.
Option C: This is not the official name of the classification system. While the World Health Organization (WHO) manages the system, its official title is the 'International Classification of Diseases'.
Option D: This is a generic, descriptive phrase, not the name of a specific, standardized, and coded system. A formal system is required for the level of detail needed for statistical analysis and international comparison.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Global Health Data Standardization as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a critical role in the accuracy of ICD data. Precise and thorough documentation of patient diagnoses, signs, and symptoms on medical records is the foundation for correct coding.
Inaccurate or incomplete nursing documentation can lead to incorrect ICD coding, which skews health statistics, affects hospital funding (reimbursement), and misinforms public health policy.
What if? If a nurse documents 'chest pain' without specifying its nature (e.g., crushing, substernal, radiating), it could be coded vaguely. If specified, it could be correctly coded as 'acute myocardial infarction,' leading to more accurate mortality statistics and better resource allocation for cardiac care.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrase in the question: 'international comparability' and 'mortality statistic'. This points to a need for a global, standardized system.
Evaluate the options based on this key requirement. 'Indian classification of disease' is immediately eliminated because it is national, not international.
Next, compare the remaining options. 'International classification of disease' sounds like an official title for a global system.
'World health classification of disease' is plausible but might be an incorrect name. 'Classification of disease and health' is too generic and vague to be a formal system.
Recall or deduce that the 'International Classification of Diseases' (ICD) is the well-known system managed by the WHO for this exact purpose. This makes it the most logical and correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Global Health Data Standardization
Stem keywords: international comparability, mortality statistic, classification, collection, processing
Lead-in keywords: Which of the following

Question ID

Qkn5XU59DHY2DDUpQ530GP

Reference Book

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 42-44

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 3964-3966, 3963-3965

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