Dx (Diagnosis)
In data contexts, Dx typically refers to ICD-10 (or ICD-9) diagnosis codes that appear on medical claims. These codes are the foundation for identifying patient populations and understanding disease prevalence and comorbidity patterns.
TL;DR
Diagnosis
CATEGORY
Abbreviations
WHO IT IMPACTS
Clinical researchers, epidemiologists, life sciences teams, payers and health economists
RELATED TERMS
DEFINITION
Dx is shorthand for a medical diagnosis – the identification of a disease, condition or injury based on clinical evaluation, testing or recorded codes in a patient's health record or claims data.
WHY IT MATTERS
• Dx codes are the starting point for nearly every real-world evidence study
• Standardized (ICD-10/9) coding means diagnosis data can be aggregated and compared reliably at scale
• Enables analysis of disease prevalence, comorbidities, and progression across large populations
• Forms the filtering criteria researchers use to identify eligible patients and follow their treatment journeys over time.
For example, when building a real-world evidence study on heart failure, analysts may filter claims data by relevant Dx codes to identify eligible patients and track their treatment journeys over time.