DIMDI published the final version of OPS 2020 in Germany

In late October 2019, the DIMDI (German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information) has published the final version of the OPS 2020 (Operation and Procedure Keys). The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification) forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care.

286 proposals and additional requirements for the further development of the reimbursement systems for hospital services have been incorporated. The proposals came mainly from medical societies and medical specialists, health insurance companies and clinics, as well as other organizations of self-government in the healthcare sector.

Operations and procedures must be encoded in the outpatient and inpatient area according to the OPS.

Only the codes listed in Annex 2 of the EBM (Einheitlicher Bewertungsmaβstab, German Uniform Evaluation Standard) are to be used in the contractual medical care. Doctors and documentaries in hospitals are obliged to take into account the German Coding Guidelines (DKR) in the currently valid version; in psychiatric and psychosomatic institutions, the German Coding Guidelines for Psychiatry / Psychosomatic Medicine (DKR-Psych) are to be used. The coding guidelines are agreed upon jointly by the self-government partners.

Encoding is based on the OPS Systematic Directory. The corresponding alphabetical directory facilitates the work with the OPS in practice.

The most crucial content changes in OPS 2020 include:

• Modification of existing codes and introduction of new codes for implantation of radiation markers
• Introduction of new additional codes for the number of removed polyps with a diameter of more than 2 cm
• Revision of the minimum characteristics of the additional code for the modular endoprosthesis
• Revision of notes and minimum characteristics for mechanical ventilation weaning.

The comments in the introduction of the Systematic Directory explains important changes in the individual chapters. All changes in detail are included in the update list. The difference list contains the changes to the final version compared to the preliminary version.

The alphabetical list for OPS 2020 will be adapted to the changes in the systematic directory and will be published shortly.

The full details in German can be found here.

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