[ENT and head and neck surgery in the German DRG system 2007].
BACKGROUND
The German DRG system has been further developed into version 2007. For ENT and head and neck surgery, significant changes in the coding of diagnoses and medical operations as well as in the the DRG structure have been made.


RESULTS
New ICD codes for sleep apnoea and acquired tracheal stenosis have been implemented. Surgery on the acoustic meatus, removal of auricle hyaline cartilage for transplantation (e. g. rhinosurgery) and tonsillotomy have been coded in the 2007 version. In addition, the DRG structure has been improved. Case allocation of more than one significant operation has been established.


CONCLUSIONS
The G-DRG system has gained in complexity. High demands are made on the coding of complex cases, whereas standard cases require mostly only one specific diagnosis and one specific OPS code. The quality of case allocation for ENT patients within the G-DRG system has been improved. Nevertheless, further adjustments of the G-DRG system are necessary.
Franz
D
D
Medizinisches Management, DRG-Research-Group, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany. dominik.franz@smc.uni-muenster.de
Roeder
N
N
Hörmann
K
K
Alberty
J
J
D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D005858:Germany; D006257:Head / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000145:classification* / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000145:classification* / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*