Which manual is used to diagnose conditions?

• A. CPT
• B. ICD (International Classification of Disease)
• C. SNOMED
• D. DSM-5

Answer: (B)

Diagnosing conditions is documented using a standardized coding system that translates clinical findings into universal codes. The system used for this across almost all medical settings is ICD, which provides codes for diseases and health problems so diagnoses can be recorded, shared, and billed consistently. DSM-5, while it offers detailed criteria for mental disorders to guide assessment, is not the primary coding system used for billing—the diagnosed condition is typically mapped to an ICD code in the medical record. CPT codes describe procedures or services, not diagnoses. SNOMED offers a rich clinical terminology for data in electronic health records, but the formal classification and billing of diagnoses rely on ICD. So ICD is the manual used to diagnose and code conditions.