Classifications
How healthy is the world? How are people getting sick, and how do they die? How is the health system responding?
Consistent and comparable data provide the answers to these key questions. International classifications are used to standardize health data, and lay the foundation for evidence-based healthcare.
Classifications are some of the most important, yet least-known products produced by WHO. They are used by:
- Governments to allocate resources.
- Researchers to collaborate across borders.
- Doctors to document their cases.
- Hospitals to count the frequency of health problems.
- Laboratories to exchange investigative data.
- Insurance companies for billing purposes.
- International organizations to assess trends in public health.
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Family of Classifications and Terminologies
The WHO Family of International Classifications (FIC) is a set of integrated classifications that provide a common language for health information across the world. These include:
Reference classifications
Reference classifications are approved for international reporting and cover the main parameters of health. WHO is responsible for three primary reference classifications:
- International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)
- International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
- International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI)
Derived classifications
Derived classifications are extensions of reference classifications, and are created for use within a specialty setting, such as within a national level.
Related classifications
Related classifications are complementary to reference and derived classifications, and cover specialty areas not otherwise described in the FIC.
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