# Presentation: 254085

**International Underlying Cause of Death Classification Exam**
**A pilot test in Korea**
**May 9, 2007**
**Joon H. Hong**

**WHO-FIC-IFHRO ****Joint collaboration**

## A pilot test in Korea

**The process**
**Scoring**
**Marking scheme**
**Result of scoring**
**Characteristics of the applicants and the successful candidates**
**Problems and suggestions**

## Organization of Task Force Committee (TFC) of KMRA for the implementation of the exam
Members of TFC signed on the pledge of keeping confidentiality concerning the exam
Received the exam questions and answer keys, reviewed them and asked some questions to Cassia for the points I’m not clear
Translation and verification of the materials by TFC members 
Adding Korean Terminologies to the causes of death of exam questions and verification were done
The exam questions were not opened to the TFC members
Posting the materials except the exam questions on the 
    KMRA web site with the announcement of the exam date

**Members of TFC signed on the pledge of keeping confidentiality concerning the exam**
**Received the exam questions and answer keys, reviewed them and asked some questions to Cassia for the points I’m not clear**
**Translation and verification of the materials by TFC members **
**Adding Korean Terminologies to the causes of death of exam questions and verification were done**
**The exam questions were not opened to the TFC members**
**Posting the materials except the exam questions on the **
**    ****KMRA web site with the announcement of the exam date**

**Pilot Test in Korea****- ****The Process -**

## Pilot Test in KoreaThe Process - continued

**Implementation of one-day education program of  mortality coding for hospital coders and instructors of morbidity coding**
**Lecturers: Mortality coders in Korea National Statistical Office**
**Trainees: 320 **
**Receipt of the application for the exam**
**Duration: March 26-March 30**
**Number of applicants: 125 including 30 for both coder and trainer**
**Reviewing the submitted materials to evaluate their eligibility**
**Self-assessment**
**Application for recognition as an ICD-10 trainer for Underlying cause of death coders**
**Supplementary materials**

## Pilot Test in KoreaThe Process - continued

**TFC members discussed about the possibility of the successful implementation of the pilot test **
**Announcement of implementation of the second exam within this year, as decided by JC at the teleconference on April 4**
**Reconfirmation of their intentions for applying the first exam**
**Coder exam: 14**
**Both for coder and trainer exam: 9**
**Implementation of the exam**
**Date : April 15 (Sunday) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. /6 p.m.**
**One hour break for lunch**

## Marking Scheme

**Cassia, Patricia, and Joon chose option 2 of the 4 marking schemes made by three of us**
**UCD code: 3 points (60.2% of the total points)**
**Rule(s) used: 1 point for each**
**Sequence of the rule(s): 0.5 point**
**Total points for coder exam: 247 points**
**Total points for trainer exam: 299 points**
**No subtraction for each unnecessary code        **
**Give 1.5 points for the underlying cause code if it’s correct but for the fourth character**

## Scoring

**Three of the TFC members started scoring on the day of the exam**
**Stopped scoring because of questions about the answer keys for 2 cases (No. 53 and 60)**
**Discussion with Cassia and Patricia for those 2 cases via e-mail**
**Finished scoring by applying the final decision of our discussion **

## Results of scoring

**Number of successful candidates**
**Coder exam: 6/14 (42.9%)**
**Trainer exam: 4/9 (44.4%)**
**Total: 10/23 (43.5%)**
**Number of successful candidates by groups**
**Mortality coders: 6/6 (100%)**
**Hospital coders: 3/14 (21.4%)**
**Professor and instructors: 1/3 (33.3%)**
**Marks**
**The highest marks (percentage) : 94.3**
**The lowest marks (percentage) : 64.5**
**Average: 77.5**
**Ranking from 1 – 6: Mortality coders from Korea National Statistical Office (Their average: 91.5)**

## Distribution of Test Results (Percentage)

**Percentage           Number of candidates**
**	****	****        ****Coder Ex    Trainer Ex****	**** Total(%)**
**90-99****	****   4****	****	****   1****	****	**** 5 (  21.7)**
**80-89****	****   2****	****	****   3****	****	**** 5 (  21.7)**
**70-79****	****   2****	****	****   4****	****	**** 6 (  26.1)**
**60-69****	****   6****	****	****   1****	****	**** 7 (  30.4)**
**Total****	**** 14****	****	****   9****	****        23 (100.0)**

## Passing Rate by Education Program

**	****	****	****	****   ****Applicants****	****Successful**
**	****	****	****	****	****                  ****candidates****(%)**
**2 year program**
**   ****graduates****	****	****	**** 8****	****	****  3(37.3)**
**4 year program **
**   ****graduates      ****	****	****15****	****	****  7(46.7)**
**Total****	****	****	****      ****	****23****	****	****10(43.5)**

## Passing Rate by Coding Experience

**	****	****	****	****Applicants****	****      Successful Candidates**
**	****	****	****    ****Morbidity  Mortality           Morbidity(%)  Mortality(%)**
**  ****1- 9 years****	****	****6****	****5****	****      ****	**** 3(50.0)    5(100.0)**
**10-19 years****	****	****4****	****1****	****      ****	**** 1(25.0)    1(100.0)**
**More than 20****	****7****	****0****	****      ****	**** 0(  0.0)    0(   0.0)**
**Total****	****	****       17****	****6****	****	**** 4(23.5)    6(100.0)**

## Problems and Suggestions

**Takes too long time to finish the exam **
**Discussion needed to reduce the number of exam questions**
**Cases with conflict in selecting the UCD and/or rules application, i.e. cases with more than one answer**
**Questions with definite answers are required**
**Difficulty in making the marking scheme**
**Standard marking scheme is required**

## Problems and Suggestions -continued

**Making questions and answer keys: Too heavy job to be done by one person**
**Need to organize a task group for the exam**
**To make questions and answer keys**
**To discuss and answer for the questions from the countries implementing the exam**
**Very complicated descriptions in ICD-10 Vol II**
**Need to make them clear when updated**
**Decision table is too thick to download**

## Some points to be discussed on the following documents
Process for Recognition of Trainers in Coding Underlying Cause of  Death
          Number 2 and 7 of the “Process” 
             Fee submission to the IFHRO office
Strategy for Recognition and Certification of Practicing Underlying Cause of Death Coders 
       Timeframe for eligibility of practicing coders
       Process
            Coder downloads or receives the exam paper
            Coder sends the exam paper to IFHRO/WHO   
                administrative staff after finishing the exam

**Process for Recognition of Trainers in Coding Underlying Cause of  Death**
**          ****Number 2 and 7 of the “Process” **
**             ****Fee submission to the IFHRO office**
**Strategy for Recognition and Certification of Practicing Underlying Cause of Death Coders**** **
**       ****Timeframe for eligibility of practicing coders**
**       ****Process**
**            ****Coder downloads or receives the exam paper**
**            ****Coder sends the exam paper to IFHRO/WHO   **
**                ****administrative staff after finishing the exam**
**	**

**Other Comments**

## Pilot Test in Korea 

**Pilot Test in Korea **
**April 15, 2007**

## Pilot Test in Korea

**Pilot Test in Korea**
**April 15, 2007**

## Thank you!!!