<P> The most recent pushback of the implementation date has inspired a mixed reaction from the healthcare community . Even though the deadline for ICD - 10 was pushed back repeatedly , CMS recommended that medical practices take several years to prepare for implementation of the new code set . The basic structure of the ICD - 10 - CM code is the following : Characters 1 -- 3 ( the category of disease ) ; 4 ( etiology of disease ) ; 5 ( body part affected ) ; 6 ( severity of illness ) ; and 7 ( placeholder for extension of the code to increase specificity ) . Not only must new software be installed and tested , but medical practices must provide training for physicians , staff members , and administrators . They will also need to develop new practice policies and guidelines , and update paperwork and forms . For convenience , practices may also create `` crosswalks '' that will convert their most frequently used ICD - 9 - CM codes to the ICD - 10 - CM equivalents . </P>
how many characters are present in icd-10 codes
7