[Procedure Coding System (PCS): evaluation by the Ministry of Health]

It can be assumed that the German surgical procedure coding system OPS-301 must be replaced by a new coding system at the beginning of the next millennium. The "Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS)" which is presently being developed in the USA was considered the most promising system by the German Curators for questions of classification in Public Health (KKG). Therefore, a working group with members representing all organisations of the KKG was established to evaluate the PCS with special reference to the German conditions. The working group found that PCS is at the moment the best available procedure coding system. The German version of PCS has been licensed by DIMDI in December 1997 and will therefore be in the public domain. The German version will be developed in co-operation with all involved organisations for pilot studies and accompanying scientific evaluation, thus a maximum of consensus should be achieved.