Nordiskt och internationellt samarbete kring klassifikation av sjukdomar

Abstract

The first true disease classification schemes were created in the mid-1700s, with Sweden initiating the oldest continuous demographic statistics system in 1749. During the 1800s, Nordic countries developed individual registers for cause of death and disease classification. Later, Nordic and international co-operation was formalized in the area of health statistics through the Nordic medicinal statistics committee (Nomesko) and the Nordic centre for classification in Uppsala with professor Björn Smedby as its first director. The Nordic collaboration has been characterised by both pragmatic solutions and disagreement. In this article, the Nordic and international collaboration on classification in the area of health is described.