In Saudi Arabia the terms “Hyperkinetic” and “Disturbance of activity and attention” are still in use for clinical coding purposes, since Saudi Arabia uses the Australian modification of the ICD (ICD-10-AM), which maintains these terms even in its 10th edition. Alharbi et al. (2019) described the rationale for adopting this version, and noted that while adapted versions of the ICD are standard in many countries, internationally the ICD-11 is to come into effect in January 2022.
As we enter 2022, many of us have been asking if and when the ICD-11, which features more familiar ADHD-related terminology in alignment with DSM-V, will be adopted in Saudi Arabia. The answer comes in the form of this update shared by the National Health Informatics Center (NHIC), which indicates that work is underway:
NHIC_SA held meeting with representatives of @WHO regional office to discuss collaborative efforts for implementing ICD-11 in Saudi Arabia.
NHIC_SA Twitter account
References
Alharbi, M. A., Isouard, G., & Tolchard, B. (2019). The development of ICD adaptations and modifications as background to a potential Saudi Arabia’s National Version. Global Journal of Health Science. DOI 10.5539/gjhs.v11n11p158