'Traditional doctors love algorithms.
Patients X, Y, and Z have A, B, and C diseases. Patient X has disease B, which has an ICD9 (soon to become ICD10) diagnostic code. ICD codes (International Statistical Classifications of Diseases) are alphanumeric codes given to every diagnosis, description of symptoms and cause of death attributed to human beings.
Just as lab test numbers are not the human patients, however, codes are not diseases. They are simply part of a system that makes it easier for doctors, hospitals, and health insurance companies to keep track of what’s going on with patients.'
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