CCS AT-A-GLANCE™ Week 1

ARE YOU READY TO SIT FOR THE CCS EXAM?

AHIMA’s Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) coding credential indicates mastery-level skills in coding of inpatient and outpatient hospital records. The exam requires a broad range of knowledge, including:

• Clinical Documentation
• Diagnosis Coding
• Procedure Coding
• Reporting Requirements for Inpatient Services
• Reporting Requirements for Outpatient Services
• Data Quality Management
• Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal and Ethical Issues

CCS At-A-Glance™ is designed to help you assess your readiness as you prepare for the CCS exam. CCS At-A-Glance™ provides examples of the types of questions you might be asked on the exam.

Let’s check your readiness to sit for the CCS exam!

Question Title

1. Personal Information (confidential)

First and Last Name: *

Company: *

Title: *

City:

State: *

Zip Code:

Email: *

Question Title

2. In the physician's office, the patient complained of and described a recent syncopal episode. The physician's documentation states the patient has possible coronary artery disease and further workup is planned. What should the coder report as the reason for the visit?

Report the documented chief complaint as the reason for the encounter

Apply the definition of principal diagnosis

Query the physician for additional documentation

Await the results of any pending exams

Question Title

3. The patient left against medical advice for an inpatient stay of 3 days with a diagnosis of suspected pneumonia. Where should the coder expect to find the final diagnosis for coding?

History and physical

Progress notes

Respiratory consult notes

Discharge summary

Question Title

4. The 45-year-old patient presented to the emergency department for difficulty breathing getting worse over the last 3 weeks. After workup over the next several days, the attending physician gave a final diagnosis of pneumonia and the pulmonologist's consult stated the patient had probable lung cancer. Further workup was scheduled as an outpatient. What does the coder do in the case of this discrepancy?

Query the attending physician for clarification

Assign the code for the consultant’s diagnosis

Assign the code for the most recent diagnosis documented

Assign codes for all diagnoses documented, even if they conflict with one another, listing the most resource intensive as the principal

Question Title

5. The patient was seen in the physician's office for a chief complaint of abdominal pain. The physician reviewed the patient's medications for his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and asthma. How often are the other chronic conditions coded?

Never

The first time they are diagnosed

Only when the presenting condition is being impacted by the chronic condition

Whenever they are receiving treatment

Question Title

6. Which of the following is an appropriate way to use physician queries?

As a communication/clarification tool

Query on every pneumonia case to ask if the causal organism is known

Write a leading query as long as the answer won't impact the reimbursement

Query the consulting physician rather than the attending physician about the principal diagnosis because the consulting physician is easier to talk to

Libman Education offers extra help, tutorials, and classes authored by our CCS Exam experts to help you prepare for the CCS exam. Visit CCS Exam Prep Options for a complete list of CCS study options.

Questions? Feel free to contact us at 978-369-7180 or info@LibmanEducation.com