AAHA task force to create new diagnostic codes

DENVER—The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) formed a task force to develop standard diagnostic codes for the veterinary profession.

The association says the move is in keeping with its ongoing commitment to improve client compliance in veterinary practices.

Daniel S. Aja, DVM, chair of the AAHA Diagnostic Codes Task Force and AAHA president-elect, says, "The AAHA Compliance Study indicated that a major barrier to easily measure and track compliance is related to the lack of diagnostic codes used in veterinary practices."

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Aja adds, "Developing a uniformly accepted set of diagnostic codes is a critical first step toward truly accurate assessment of compliance."

The task force is charged with developing a set of diagnostic codes based on the SNOMED (Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine) system, but applicable to private companion animal practice, AAHA reports.

The task force is currently reviewing the SNOMED codes and anticipates the first version of the veterinary diagnostic codes available as early as 2005.

For more information go to www.aahanet.org, or call (303) 986-2800; fax (303) 986-1700.