Top Five Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) for California Hospitals

Each MDC corresponds to a major organ system (e.g., Respiratory System, Circulatory System, Digestive System) rather than a specific disease (e.g., cancer, sepsis). The MDCs are also generally associated with a particular medical specialty.

Therefore, the MDCs can be used to help identify what types of health care specialists are needed at each facility. For instance, a facility with “Circulatory System, Disease and Disorders” as one of their Top Five MDC diagnosis groups is more likely to have a greater need for cardiac specialists. The data will be updated on an annual basis.