Final answer:
Conditions that are an integral part of a disease process are coded using the WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to diagnose, treat, and process insurance claims. ICD codes can be found on death certificates and in medical laboratories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conditions that are an integral part of a disease process are coded using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. The ICD, maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), provides a comprehensive alphanumeric coding system that classifies diseases, as well as their signs and symptoms, to facilitate diagnosis, treatment, and billing processes.
For example, in the case of a viral infection, the appropriate ICD code would be used by clinicians to order and confirm laboratory testing, prescribe treatments, and ensure that all treatments and laboratory work match the diagnosed illness. This ICD code also helps medical coders and billers process claims for insurance reimbursement and supports epidemiologists in calculating morbidity and mortality statistics.
Two locations where you might likely find an ICD code are on death certificates, used by vital-records keepers to record the cause of death, and in medical laboratories, where the code identifies the required tests for confirming a patient's diagnosis.