Which of the following is NOT a listed benefit of ICD-10?

• A. Measuring quality and safety of care.
• B. Designing payment systems and processing claims for reimbursement.
• C. Conducting research, epidemiological studies, and clinical trials.
• D. Reducing patient wait times.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that ICD-10 is a standardized coding system used to record and analyze health information. Its listed benefits revolve around data that lets us measure quality and safety of care, design and process payments and reimbursements, and support research, epidemiology studies, and clinical trials. These codes create consistent, comparable data across providers and payers, which is essential for tracking outcomes, adjusting for risk, and aggregating information for studies and payment design. Reducing patient wait times, however, is an operational outcome tied to throughput, scheduling, staffing, and care delivery processes—things that ICD-10 doesn’t directly control or promise as a benefit. So while good data can help identify and address bottlenecks, decreasing wait times isn’t a stated benefit of ICD-10.