Stigmatizing Language in Substance Use-related International Classification of Diseases Codes.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Healthcare-associated stigma is a critical barrier for treatment engagement for patients with substance use disorders. Although there are efforts to combat stigmatizing language in clinical documentation, little is known about the presence of substance use-related stigmatizing language in structured diagnosis codes ubiquitous in clinical medicine.

Methods

We examined the presence of substance use-related stigmatizing terms contained within the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, clinical modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis code descriptions. Stigmatizing terms were compiled from guidelines authored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, while ICD-10-CM codes were obtained from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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SUBMITTER: Chhabra N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12353857 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature