Stigmatizing Language in Substance Use-related International Classification of Diseases Codes

Abstract Objectives: Healthcare-associated stigma is a critical barrier for treatment engagement for patients with substance use disorders. Although there are efforts to combat stigmatizing language in clinical documentation, little is known about the presence of substance use-related stigmatizing language in structured diagnosis codes ubiquitous in clinical medicine. Methods: We examined the presence of substance use-related stigmatizing terms contained within the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, clinical modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis code descriptions. Stigmatizing terms were compiled from guidelines authored by