The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr Muhammad Khair bin Mohamad Yunus on the successful defence of his Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) thesis entitled “Developing a Malaysian Emergency Department ICD-10 Principal Diagnosis Shortlist: A Mixed-Methods Study Benchmarked Against Australian Coding.” This significant achievement reflects years of dedication, scholarly excellence, and an unwavering commitment to strengthening Malaysia’s healthcare system through evidence-based research.
Thesis Summary
Emergency departments (EDs) serve as the frontline of Malaysia’s healthcare system, managing a wide range of acute and emergency conditions. Despite their critical role, the absence of a standardised principal diagnosis coding framework has resulted in inconsistent reporting across public hospitals, limiting the effective use of health data for planning, resource allocation, and the future development of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs).
In this mixed-methods study, Dr Muhammad Khair analysed nearly 10,000 emergency department records from 13 Malaysian public hospitals to identify common diagnostic patterns. Building upon these findings, he developed a comprehensive ICD-10 principal diagnosis shortlist through a rigorous Delphi consensus process involving experts in emergency medicine and public health. The final consensus-validated shortlist comprises 1,135 diagnoses, carefully aligned with international coding standards while incorporating diseases of particular importance to Malaysia, including dengue fever and leptospirosis. This work provides a practical and locally relevant framework for standardising diagnosis coding within Malaysian emergency departments.
Highlight of the Candidate’s Achievement
Dr Muhammad Khair’s research represents a landmark contribution to emergency care informatics and health services research in Malaysia. His study successfully:
- Developed the first locally adapted ICD-10 principal diagnosis shortlist specifically designed for Malaysian public hospital emergency departments.
- Analysed a large multi-centre national dataset comprising 9,942 emergency department presentations from 13 public hospitals.
- Applied a robust mixed-methods approach combining epidemiological analysis with expert consensus through structured Delphi rounds.
- Produced a consensus-validated coding framework consisting of 1,135 principal diagnoses with demonstrated reliability and international compatibility.
- Successfully benchmarked the Malaysian framework against Australian coding standards while preserving local clinical relevance.
- Established an important foundation for the future implementation of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) within Malaysia’s emergency care services.
These achievements demonstrate both scientific rigour and practical relevance, ensuring that the research can directly support healthcare policy, hospital management, and clinical practice.
Contribution to Public Health
The impact of this research extends well beyond coding classification. Standardised diagnosis coding is fundamental to building high-quality health information systems that support evidence-based decision-making. By providing a nationally relevant principal diagnosis shortlist, this work has the potential to improve the consistency and quality of emergency department data across Malaysia.
The findings will facilitate more accurate disease surveillance, strengthen health system planning, enhance resource allocation, and support fairer hospital financing through future DRG implementation. Furthermore, incorporating diseases that reflect Malaysia’s unique epidemiological profile ensures that the framework remains relevant to local healthcare needs while maintaining international comparability.
Ultimately, this research contributes towards improving healthcare delivery, strengthening emergency care services, and supporting better patient outcomes across the country.
Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge the invaluable guidance and mentorship provided by Dr Muhammad Khair bin Mohamad Yunus‘ supervisors, Professor Dr. Noran Naqiah Mohd Hairi, Honorary Professor Dr. Maznah Dahlui, and Associate Professor Dr. Amirah Azzeri, whose expertise and support were instrumental in the completion of his thesis.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, Dean of Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti (PPCU), Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who served as the External Examiner, and Dr. Bala Murali a/l Sundram, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, who served as the Internal Examiner.
We would also like to thank the Committee of Examiners for their thorough evaluation and insightful feedback, including Professor Dr. Azlina Abdul Aziz, Chairperson of the viva voce session; Professor Dr. Anand a/l Sanmugam, Deputy Dean (Postgraduate), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya; and Associate Professor Dr. Tharani Loganathan, Programme Coordinator, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
Congratulations and Future Expectations
The successful completion of the Doctor of Public Health degree marks an important milestone in Dr Muhammad Khair’s academic and professional journey. His research exemplifies the translation of rigorous scientific inquiry into practical solutions that address real-world challenges within Malaysia’s healthcare system.
We congratulate Dr Muhammad Khair bin Mohamad Yunus on this outstanding accomplishment and commend his dedication to advancing public health, emergency medicine, and health information management. We are confident that his expertise and future contributions will continue to shape healthcare policy, improve emergency care services, and strengthen health systems both nationally and internationally.
Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved success, and we wish Dr Muhammad Khair every success in his future academic, professional, and research endeavours.
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