If you are coding in Australia, you have heard about both ICD-10-AM and SNOMED CT, but understanding how they different and when to use is essential for accurate clinical documentation and data use.
ICD-10-AM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Australian Modification) is a statistical classification system. It’s used primarily for coding diagnoses and procedures in hospital settings. Australian clinical coders rely on ICD-10-AM, ACHI, and ACS to assign diagnosis and procedure codes for inpatients, which then feed into AR-DRGs for hospital funding and reporting.
On the other hand, SNOMED CT-AU (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms, Australian extension) is a clinical terminology used mainly in electronic health records (EHRs). Unlike ICD-10-AM, which focuses on grouping conditions into categories, SNOMED CT provides a more detailed, clinician-friendly vocabulary. For example, where ICD-10-AM might code “Asthma, unspecified,” SNOMED CT can capture nuances like “intermittent mild allergic asthma triggered by dust mites.”
Key Differences:
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Purpose: ICD-10-AM is used for billing, reporting, and statistical analysis. SNOMED CT supports clinical documentation and decision-making.
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Structure: ICD-10-AM uses alphanumeric codes in a fixed hierarchy. SNOMED CT is concept-based with relationships between terms.
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Use Case: ICD-10-AM is essential for inpatient coding. SNOMED CT is used in GP practices, digital health records, and My Health Record.
For Australian coders, understanding both systems is becoming increasingly important—especially as digital health continues to grow. While you may not use SNOMED CT daily as a hospital coder, knowing how it integrates with coding workflows is a big step toward future-proofing your skills.
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