CCDS-O Questions Bank

The documentation explicitly links the conditions by stating “Type 2 Diabetes with bilateral peripheral arteriosclerotic disease of LE,” which supports a diabetic circulatory manifestation rather than “diabetes without complications.” In outpatient CDI chart review, the word “with” and clear provider linkage allow coding of diabetes “with peripheral angiopathy” (a diabetes complication category) when peripheral arterial/arteriosclerotic disease is documented as associated. In addition, best practice is to code both the diabetes complication category and the specific manifestation when supported, because the manifestation (atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, bilateral) further describes the clinical condition being evaluated. Hypertension is also evaluated and managed (“well controlled on Lopressor”), meeting outpatient reporting expectations for an active condition addressed during the encounter. Option D is incorrect because it double-counts the same concept—peripheral angiopathy already represents a circulatory complication, so adding a separate “diabetes with circulatory complication” statement is redundant rather than additive. Therefore, the correct coding set includes diabetes with peripheral angiopathy, the bilateral lower-extremity atherosclerosis manifestation, and hypertension.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined by evidence of kidney damage or reduced kidney function that persists for at least three months. An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR/GFR)below 60 mL/minsustained over that timeframe is an objective indicator of chronically decreased renal function and supports CKD identification and staging in the outpatient record. This is why outpatient CDI programs frequently use trended eGFR as a clinical indicator to prompt documentation of CKD stage (e.g., stage 3a/3b, stage 4, etc.) when appropriate. BNP >1000 is more aligned with heart failure severity/volume status rather than kidney damage. BUN <12 is within/near normal and does not indicate renal impairment (elevated BUN may be seen with renal dysfunction but is less specific and affected by hydration, diet, GI bleed). Glucose >100 is a screening indicator for impaired fasting glucose/prediabetes but does not, by itself, establish chronic kidney damage. Therefore, sustained GFR <60 is the best objective lab-based measure of chronic kidney damage over time.

In outpatient risk adjustment, “disease interactions” refer to model coefficients that are triggered when certain clinically related conditions co-exist, reflecting higher expected resource use than either condition alone. In this case, the record already supports active malignancy care (colon cancer on chemotherapy) with newly documented metastasis, and the lab pattern (anemia, leukopenia, and severe thrombocytopenia) strongly suggests pancytopenia. The highest-yield query opportunity is to clarify whether the cytopenias representchemotherapy-induced pancytopenia(or another specified etiology) because a confirmed, well-specified hematologic complication in the context of active cancer treatment is the type of combination that commonly drives interaction effects in risk models (cancer plus significant systemic complication/manifestation). Options A and B describe clinical context but do not, by themselves, establish an interaction-ready, separately reportable complication. Option C is unrelated to the presented lab-driven severity signal. Querying and documenting chemotherapy-induced pancytopenia supports accurate capture of severity and the interaction impact.

Outpatient CDI follow-up must balance responsiveness with confidentiality and professional standards. The most compliant approach is to communicate query-related information in a setting that protects protected health information and minimizes the risk of incidental disclosure. Discussing the query in a private room with the door closed supports timely clarification while maintaining privacy, avoiding conversations that could be overheard by patients, visitors, or staff who are not involved in the patient’s care. Catching the provider in the hallway is faster but increases privacy risk because clinical details can be overheard, and it may also distract the provider in a high-traffic environment. Leaving a sticky note on the next patient’s chart is inappropriate because it can be seen by others, may be misplaced, and can create compliance and medico-legal concerns (including mixing patients or leaving PHI unsecured). Waiting for the next scheduled meeting may be compliant but does not support a quick response, potentially delaying coding completion and data integrity. Therefore, a private discussion is both the quickest and most compliant option.