When beginning to code a documented diagnosis in a medical office, where should the coder look first?
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Medical Office Assistant · Medical Economics, Billing, and Coding
Alphabetic Index and Tabular List
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5 questions here, of 83 in this lesson’s practice set. Answers stay hidden until you check.
After locating a candidate code in the Alphabetic Index, what is the required next step?
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Which list correctly names the main sections of the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index?
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In the Alphabetic Index, words in parentheses following a main term are called nonessential modifiers. What do they tell the coder?
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A patient's chart reads 'acute bronchitis.' In the Alphabetic Index, the term 'acute' is indented beneath 'bronchitis' as a subterm. What does this indented subterm represent?
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Study tools & related lessonsYou’ll learn to · Related
You’ll learn to
- Locate main terms, subterms, and cross-references in the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index.
- Identify the correct Tabular List chapter, category, subcategory, and code for a given documented diagnosis.
- Apply coding conventions and instructional notes (Includes, Excludes1, Excludes2, Code first, Use additional code) to select and sequence codes.
- Distinguish index features such as nonessential and essential modifiers, eponyms, and the Tables of Neoplasms, Drugs and Chemicals, and External Causes.
- Recognize the medical office assistant's role and limits in diagnosis coding, including escalating unclear or unsupported diagnoses.
Sources & references
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — ICD-10
- World Health Organization — ICD-10 Classification of Diseases
- American Health Information Management Association — AHIMA - Health Information and Coding
This lesson was adapted from the open educational references above; their licenses and attributions are preserved. See Copyright & Licensing.
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