Validation of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision-Clinical Modification Diagnostic Code for Essential Tremor

• Published in: Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 34
• Main Authors: Howard, Susanna D, Singh, Shikha, Macaluso, Dominick, Cajigas, Iahn, Aamodt, Whitley W, Farrar, John T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Ubiquity Press 04.07.2024
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol use; Anxiety disorders; Benzodiazepines; Brief Report; Classification; Demographics; Diabetes; Disease; Dystonia; Essential Tremor - classification; Essential Tremor - diagnosis; Female; Humans; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; International Classification of Diseases - standards; Male; Medical records; Middle Aged; Movement disorders; Patients; Primary care; Propranolol - therapeutic use; Statistical analysis; Tremor (Muscular contraction); United States > US; Pennsylvania; essential tremor; code validation; health outcomes research; claims data
• ISSN: 2160-8288; 2160-8288
• DOI: 10.5334/tohm.905

The positive predictive value (PPV) of the (ICD-9-CM) code for "essential and other specified forms of tremor" in identifying essential tremor (ET) cases was found to be less than 50%. The ability of the ICD-10-CM G25.0 code for "essential tremor" to identify ET has not been determined. The study objective was to determine the PPV of the G25.0 code. Patients in a tertiary health system with a primary care encounter associated with ICD-10-CM code G25.0 in 2022 underwent medical record review to determine if the consensus criteria from the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society for an ET diagnosis were met. 442 patients were included. The PPV of G25.0 in identifying probable ET cases was 74.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 70.4-78.5%). Among patients prescribed propranolol, the PPV improved to 87.8% (95% CI 78.0-93.6%). Compared to the ICD-9-CM code 333.1, G25.0 is superior for identifying ET cases. A potential limitation of this study is that the consensus criteria applied relies on nonspecific physical exam findings which may lead to an overestimation of the PPV of G25.0. The ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for essential tremor has not been previously validated. The objective of this study was to determine the PPV of the G25.0 code. The PPV in identifying essential tremor cases was 74.7%. The PPV improved among patients prescribed propranolol.