Free Practice Questions for ACDIS CCDS-O Exam

In the CMS-HCC model, many related conditions are organized intohierarchiesso that only themost severemanifestation within a disease family contributes to the RAF. This prevents double counting when multiple codes describe progressive severity of the same underlying condition. Cancer categories are a common example: a diagnosis reflectingmetastatic diseaserepresents substantially higher expected resource utilization than a diagnosis of localized/primary malignancy. In this scenario, the February prostate cancer maps to a lower-severity HCC (HCC 23), while the October documentation of prostate cancerwith bone metastasesmaps to a higher-severity HCC (HCC 18). When both are captured within the applicable period, the hierarchy logic retains thehigher-weighted metastatic categoryand suppresses the lower category. The timing of which was coded first does not control the hierarchy outcome, and both HCCs are not counted together when they fall within the same hierarchical grouping. Therefore, the patient’s risk score calculation reflects HCC 18 rather than HCC 23.

A compliant prospective query is initiated before the next encounter so the provider can clarify documentation during the upcoming visit, using clinically relevant indicators without directing a specific diagnosis. Option A does this appropriately: it references an existing CHF history and a supportive medication (Lasix), then asks the provider to confirm whether CHF is pertinent at the next visit and, if so, to specify type and acuity. This supports accurate outpatient reporting because heart failure coding requires specificity (systolic/diastolic/combined; acute/chronic/acute on chronic) and should reflect what is actually evaluated/managed at the encounter. Option B is retrospective and attempts to justify a prior test. Option C is leading because it asks the provider to “add” a diagnosis to a past note rather than clarify current clinical status. Option D is also retrospective and uses “please add CHF,” which is leading and can be perceived as prompting. Therefore, A best demonstrates a compliant prospective query.

Outpatient CDI performance is best measured by metrics that reflect ambulatory documentation quality, risk-adjustment accuracy, and provider engagement.HCC capture rateis central because outpatient CDI frequently supports risk adjustment (e.g., CMS-HCC/HHS-HCC) and aims to ensure chronic conditions are accurately documented, linked, and reported when they are actively managed.Unspecified code utilization rateis a practical quality metric for provider education because high unspecified use often signals missed clinical specificity (severity, laterality, acuity, manifestations, staging) that can reduce coding accuracy, obscure patient complexity, and weaken data used for benchmarking and quality reporting.Query response rateis also a core operational KPI: it reflects provider participation, workflow effectiveness, and the CDI team’s ability to obtain timely clarifications that support compliant coding and complete clinical representation. In contrast,Medicare CMIandseverity of illnessare predominantly inpatient-focused constructs and are not the primary yardsticks for outpatient CDI program success. While aggregate RAF and quality indicators matter, the best “program performance” set is the one directly tied to outpatient CDI levers: HCC capture, specificity/unspecified reduction, and query responsiveness.

Symbicort is an inhaled combination medication containing an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). In outpatient chart review, this medication class is most strongly associated with chronic airway inflammatory diseases requiring controller therapy—especiallypersistent asthma(and also maintenance therapy for COPD, though COPD is not an option here). For CDI purposes, medication-to-diagnosis linkage can act as a clinical indicator supporting clarification when the visit note lists respiratory symptoms but does not clearly document the chronic condition being treated or its acuity/status. Symbicort is not used to treat musculoskeletal degenerative disease (osteoarthritis), peripheral nerve pain from diabetes (diabetic neuropathy), or cardiac pump failure (congestive heart failure). When Symbicort appears on the active med list, outpatient CDI commonly checks that the provider’s documentation appropriately reflects asthma classification (intermittent vs persistent), current control, exacerbation status if applicable, and that the condition is being monitored/assessed/treated during the encounter to support reportability and accurate coding.

Outpatient CDI practice supports accurate, provider-validated diagnoses; CDI should not “diagnose,” direct the provider to add a specific condition, or independently add diagnoses to the claim. Here, the documentation shows clinical indicators (fatigue/lethargy and hemoglobin drop from 10.4 to 8.6) and a treatment plan (oral iron and repeat H/H), but the provider has not stated a definitive diagnosis such as postoperative anemia, iron deficiency anemia, acute blood loss anemia, or anemia due to chronic disease. The best CDI action is to issue a compliant query that summarizes the relevant indicators and treatment and asks the provider to document the appropriate diagnosis and etiology, if clinically supported, and to link it to the plan of care. Option A is inappropriate because it leads the provider toward a specific diagnosis. Option D is noncompliant because coding must follow documented provider diagnoses. Option B may be a reasonable internal check, but it does not resolve the documentation gap.

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) most commonly used to treat depressive disorders and several anxiety-related conditions. In outpatient chart review, recognizing medication–condition relationships supports accurate problem list maintenance and compliant diagnosis reporting, but the diagnosis must still be clearly documented as assessed/managed at the encounter. Depression is the best match because SSRIs like sertraline are first-line pharmacologic therapy for major depressive disorder and are frequently continued long-term with monitoring for symptom control, side effects, and functional status. Schizophrenia is primarily treated with antipsychotic medications; sertraline may be used only as an adjunct if a comorbid depressive or anxiety disorder is present, so it is not the common primary treatment. Asthma management centers on bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, not SSRIs. Heart failure therapy involves guideline-directed cardiac medications (e.g., beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors/ARNI, diuretics), and sertraline is not a standard heart failure treatment. Outpatient CDI education emphasizes documenting the specific mental health diagnosis, current status (stable/worsening), and treatment plan to support coding.

The clinical indicators strongly supportalcohol dependence, not merely alcohol “use” or “abuse.” The patient reports heavy, compulsive intake (early-morning drinking and at least a pint daily), and the provider explicitly documents that she “continues to be dependent on alcohol” and discusses treatment options—this aligns with a dependence-level disorder being addressed.Hypertensionis also supported because the BP is elevated (165/89) and the provider documents management activity (medications and diet counseling), meeting encounter relevance/reportability expectations.Diabetesis listed among chronic conditions, but the scenario provides no indicators of complications (no neuropathy, CKD, ulcers, retinopathy, etc.), so the supported choice is DM type 2without complicationsrather than “with complications.” Although COPD is listed in the “including” statement, no COPD-specific assessment/monitoring/treatment is described in the indicators provided, so the best-supported grouped option focuses on the conditions with clear supporting indicators and management in the note: DM2 without complications, HTN, and alcohol dependence.

In outpatient coding, selection and sequencing must follow ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, including obstetric chapter rules. When HIV is documented in a pregnant patient, the pregnancy complication code is sequenced first because the pregnancy status frames the encounter and drives the obstetric complication coding structure. The phrase “HIV positive” (without documentation of HIV-related illness or “HIV disease”) is treated asasymptomatic HIV infection status, which aligns with the status concept rather than active HIV disease. Therefore, the correct approach is to codepregnancy complicated by asymptomatic HIVfirst (obstetric complication category), followed by the HIV status code to fully describe the condition affecting the pregnancy. Options that place “pregnancy” second do not follow obstetric sequencing conventions, and options that assume “HIV disease” overstep the documentation because “HIV positive” alone does not confirm symptomatic HIV disease. Outpatient CDI best practice would be to query if the provider intends HIV disease versus asymptomatic status, but based strictly on the given statement, pregnancy with asymptomatic HIV is most appropriate.

The documentation shows a patient with advanced COPD (GOLD stage 3) who now requires an increase in home oxygen to 3 liters, along with escalation of respiratory therapies (home nebulizers and systemic steroids). In outpatient CDI, an increased or ongoing home oxygen requirement is a strong clinical indicator that the provider may be managingchronic respiratory failure(or chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure), which is more clinically meaningful than simply documenting oxygen use as a status. “Oxygen dependence” is a status code and does not fully describe the underlying physiologic impairment driving the need for oxygen; chronic respiratory failure captures the severity and ongoing nature of the condition and better reflects risk, complexity, and medical necessity for durable oxygen therapy. Querying for pneumonia organism specificity is not as relevant in a follow-up visit unless pneumonia is still being actively treated and the organism is known. Querying COPD acuity (e.g., exacerbation) may be appropriate, but the most significant clarification prompted by increased home O2 is whether chronic respiratory failure is present and being managed.

CDI education focused on diagnosis specificity and complete, clinically supported documentation most directly influences theQualityandCostperformance categories. In the Quality category, many measures depend on correct identification of eligible patient populations (denominators), exclusions, and risk adjustment. When providers document conditions precisely (e.g., specific heart failure type, diabetes complications, CKD stage), it improves the accuracy of coded data that underpins measure calculations and risk stratification. In the Cost category, CMS uses claims-based methodologies that compare observed versus expected costs; accurate diagnosis capture affects patient complexity and risk adjustment, which can materially change expected cost targets and episode attribution. ACDIS outpatient CDI principles emphasize that incomplete or vague documentation can make patients appear less complex than they are, potentially worsening both quality comparisons and cost benchmarks. By contrast, Promoting Interoperability is driven primarily by EHR use and electronic processes, and Improvement Activities reflect practice transformation/engagement rather than diagnosis specificity. Therefore, Quality and Cost are the MIPS categories most impacted by CDI education on specificity.