The impact of changes in coding on mortality reports using the example of sepsis

Atkin, Catherine; Pankhurst, Tanya; McNulty, David; Keogh, Ann; Gallier, Suzy; Pagano, Domenico; Sapey, Elizabeth; Ball, Simon

doi:10.1186/s12911-022-01947-x

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Table 1 Number of patients with septicaemia recorded within diagnosis

From: The impact of changes in coding on mortality reports using the example of sepsis

Time period		Sepsis recorded as primary diagnosis	Sepsis recorded in diagnosis (but not in primary position)	Total number where sepsis recorded in diagnosis	Percentage with sepsis recorded where sepsis in primary position (%)
Apr 2016–Mar 2017		71,400	127,995	199,395	35.8
Apr 2017–Mar 2018		179,760	133,020	312,780	57.5
Apr 2018–Mar 2019		135,140	155,970	291,110	46.4
Apr 2019–Mar 2020		122,870	155,400	278,270	44.2
2016	April	5275	9715	14,990	35.2
	May	5295	10,220	15,515	34.1
	June	5205	10,205	15,410	33.8
	July	5935	10,535	16,470	36.0
	August	5690	10,980	16,670	34.1
	September	5675	10,375	16,050	35.4
	October	5925	10,830	16,755	35.4
	November	5895	10,695	16,590	35.5
	December	6335	11,150	17,485	36.2
2017	January	5915	11,540	17,455	33.9
	February	5920	10,440	16,360	36.2
	March	8335	11,310	19,645	42.4
	April*	13,470	10,480	23,950	56.3
	May	14,850	10,930	25,735	57.7
	June	14,430	11,000	25,430	56.7
	July	15,215	11,060	26,275	57.9
	August	15,270	10,965	26,235	58.2
	September	15,205	10,550	25,755	59.0
	October	15,580	11,115	26,695	58.4
	November	14,940	10,955	25,895	57.7
	December	16,815	11,190	28,005	60.0
2018	January	15,980	12,000	27,980	57.1
	February	13,910	10,550	24,460	56.9
	March	14,140	12,225	26,365	53.6
	April*	11,045	12,450	23,495	47.0
	May	11,440	13,105	24,545	46.6
	June	11,250	12,555	23,805	47.3
	July	12,130	12,980	25,110	48.3
	August	12,070	13,230	25,300	47.7
	September	11,160	12,255	23,415	47.7
	October	11,555	13,480	25,035	46.2
	November	10,980	12,885	23,865	46.0
	December	11,385	13,355	24,740	45.2
2019	January	11,615	14,085	25,700	44.4
	February	10,005	12,510	22,515	44.5
	March	10,505	13,080	23,585	44.2
	April	10,795	13,235	24,030	44.9
	May	10,945	13,005	23,950	45.7
	June	10,660	12,710	23,370	45.6
	July	11,460	13,770	25,230	45.4
	August	11,340	13,195	24,535	46.2
	September	10,550	12,935	23,485	44.9
	October	10,765	13,655	24,420	44.1
	November	10,220	13,415	23,635	43.2
	December	10,515	13,560	24,075	43.7
2020	January	9865	13,455	23,320	42.3
	February	8890	11,760	20,650	43.1
	March	6865	10,705	17,570	39.1

Number of coded admissions for sepsis from hospitals in England, taken from the Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care dataset. Changes to coding of septicaemia were introduced in April 2017 and April 2018 (denoted by *). Data has been rounded for reporting. (A reduction in admissions coded for sepsis in March 2020 was associated with a rapid increase in COVID19 admissions and reduction in other admissions, as the pandemic began to take effect in the UK)

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ISSN: 1472-6947

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