Final answer:
ICD codes are used by clinicians, labs, and in the billing and insurance processes, rather than for panel tests. They are found in medical laboratory requisition forms and patients' medical records, assisting in confirmations of diagnoses and claims processing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pathology codes, commonly referred to as International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, are not broken down into panel tests. Instead, these codes are used within the healthcare system for various purposes. ICD codes are integral to the diagnosis process, as they allow clinicians to order the appropriate laboratory tests and prescribe suitable treatments for specific medical conditions.
Two locations where one would typically find an ICD code include medical laboratory requisition forms and patient's medical records. Medical laboratories employ these codes to identify necessary tests for confirming a diagnosis. Moreover, the codes facilitate billing and insurance claim processes, ensuring that all medical procedures performed align with the identified illness.
The healthcare management system, medical coders, billers, and vital-records keepers also rely heavily on ICD codes for recording treatments, processing claims, documenting cause of death on death certificates, and for epidemiological statistics involving morbidity and mortality.