What is the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) code to reflect a patient's frustration with their healthcare provider?

From the Guidelines

The ICD-10 code that best reflects a patient's frustration with their healthcare provider is Z91.19, "Patient's noncompliance with medical treatment and regimen", however a more suitable code is Z60.9, "Problem related to social environment, unspecified". This code captures difficulties in the patient-provider relationship without specifically attributing blame to either party. According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine 1, dissatisfaction with healthcare refers to unhappiness with or mistrust of health care services or providers, which can lead to frustration with the healthcare provider. Some key points to consider when selecting an ICD-10 code for this scenario include:

• The code should reflect the patient's frustration with their healthcare provider
• The code should not attribute blame to either party
• The code should be specific enough to capture the nature of the frustration, but not so specific that it becomes overly complex
• The code Z60.9 is a good option as it encompasses social environment problems, which includes professional relationships, as noted in the study 1 It's also important to document the specific nature of the frustration in the clinical notes to provide context, as these codes are somewhat general. Using these codes helps track communication issues that may impact care quality and patient satisfaction, potentially identifying areas for improvement in provider-patient relationships.

From the Research

ICD-10 Code for Patient Frustration with Provider

There is no specific ICD-10 code that directly reflects a patient's frustration with their provider. However, there are codes that can be used to indicate patient dissatisfaction or noncompliance with treatment.

• Z91.19: Patient's noncompliance with medical treatment and regimen [(2,3,4,5,6)]
• Z91.89: Other specified personal history presenting hazards to health [(2,3,4,5,6)]

Factors Contributing to Patient Frustration

Several factors can contribute to patient frustration with their provider, including:

• Poor communication [(2,5)]
• Complexity of treatment regimen [(5,6)]
• Patient's beliefs about therapy 5
• Physician's attitudes 6
• Health system organization 6

Addressing Patient Frustration

To address patient frustration, healthcare providers can:

• Improve communication with patients [(2,5)]
• Educate patients about their treatment regimen 5
• Tailor therapy to the individual patient 5
• Offer feedback to patients on their level of compliance 5