On December 10, Five Branches University is honored to host the World Health Organization (WHO) at our San Jose campus for the field trials of the new ICD-11 codes which will include ™ Codes (Traditional Medicine).

ICD codes, the International Classifications of Diseases codes, is the international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. The ICD is maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations System.
In 2012 the WHO conducted a survey in countries around the world and found that 82% of the world’s population is using some form of integrated medicine where Chinese Medicine was a leading form.  Therefore, Chinese medicine became the first among complementary medicine to have a set of diagnostic codes aside of Western Medicine.  For the first time in history, ICD codes will include TCM terminology such as Spleen Qi Deficiency or Liver Qi Stagnation. The significance of this for research and the acceptance of TCM in heatlhcare worldwide can not be overstated.

Dr Heerei Park, faculty and Director of the Korean program at Five Branches University, is one of many subject experts assisting WHO.

Ms Marilyn Allen, Director at the American Acupuncture Council and ambassador to our profession in the U.S., has been working tirelessly with WHO and Stanford University in developing the new ICD-11 T.M. (Traditional Medicine) codes.