Final answer:
DRGs classify hospital inpatients for payment based on diagnoses, procedures, and co-morbidities, using ICD codes. ICD codes are found in healthcare provider's medical records and on laboratory test requisition forms. They facilitate communication for treatment and reimbursement processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
DRG, or Diagnosis-Related Group, is a system for classifying hospital inpatients for the purposes of payment. It considers several factors including a patient's diagnoses, the procedures they undergo, and any co-morbidities they may have. The aim is to categorize hospital cases into groups that are clinically similar and expected to have similar hospital resource use, thus standardizing payment to hospitals.
Two locations where one might find an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code are in the medical records at a health care provider's office and on a hospital's laboratory test requisition forms. Health care providers rely on ICD codes to communicate and justify medical services to insurers for reimbursement. For example, if a patient is treated for a viral infection, ICD codes will be used throughout the process, from ordering the appropriate laboratory tests to recording the cause of death on death certificates, if necessary.