2
NCCQ theory ICD10 Exam with precise detailed solutions || || || || || || ||
What is clinical coding? - ✔✔Clinical coding is the translation of medical terminology that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
describes a patient's complaint, problem, diagnosis, treatment or other reason for seeking
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
medical attention into codes that can then be easily tabulated, aggregated and sorted for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
statistical analysis in an efficient and meaningful manner.
|| || || || || || ||
What is coding uniformity and why is it important? - ✔✔Uniformity means that whenever
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
a given condition or reason for an episode is coded, the same code is always used to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
represent that condition or reason for the encounter. Uniformity is essential if the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
information is to be useful and comparable || || || || || ||
What are the three dimensions of coding accuracy? - ✔✔Individual codes
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Totality of codes || ||
Sequencing of codes || ||
What is meant by Individual codes? - ✔✔Each clinical statement of diagnosis must have the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
correct code assignment. An individual patient may have many diagnoses (or procedures).
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Consequently a coded record for an episode will have at least one or potentially many || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
individual codes. ||
What is meant by totality of codes and why is this important? - ✔✔The concept of totality of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
codes is complex. It means that all codes necessary to give an accurate clinical picture of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the patient's diagnosis, problems or other reasons for an episode encounter, must be
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
assigned in accordance with the rules, conventions and standards of the classification. This
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
is important as it is possible for a list of codes to describe an episode incorrectly in terms of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
clinical coding rules and standards even though the individual codes selected are correct.
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
What is meant by sequencing of codes, why is this important and what is a significant
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
aspect of this? - ✔✔Codes must be sequenced in accordance with clinical coding standards
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
to provide consistent data for statistical analysis. A significant aspect of sequencing is the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
selection of the main condition treated || || || || ||
How many steps make up the coding process? - ✔✔Four
|| || || || || || || || ||
What is step one of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step One
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Analyse medical terminology to determine lead term(s) and modifier(s)
|| || || || || || || ||
What is step two of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Two
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Locate the lead term(s) in the Alphabetical Index (ICD-10 Volume 3)
|| || || || || || || || || ||
What is step three of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Three
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Assign a tentative code(s) using the Alphabetical Index and taking into account all rules,
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
conventions and standards. || ||
What is step four of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Four
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Verify the code(s) using the Tabular List (ICD-10 Volume 1) and taking into account
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
instructional notes. ||
If there is a doubt as to where a condition should be coded, what chapters must take
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
priority? - ✔✔The 'special group' chapters must take priority.
|| || || || || || || ||
How many chapters make up ICD-10? - ✔✔22 chapters
|| || || || || || || ||
Name the types of chapters within ICD-10, describe briefly their content and give the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
chapter numbers that fall within each type. - ✔✔Special group chapters
|| || || || || || || || || ||
, 2
Chapters I-V, XV-XVII and XIX classify conditions that do not focus on any one body
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
system. In general, conditions are primarily classified to one of the 'special group' chapters.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Body system chapters || ||
Chapters VI-XIV classify conditions according to the body system they affect.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Other chapters ||
Chapters XVIII and XX-XXII classify other disorders and factors which do not sit
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
comfortably in either a special group or body system chapter || || || || || || || || ||
What character levels must code assignment be made to, within ICD-10, to make the code
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
valid? - ✔✔Code assignment must always be made to four character level or five character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
level (where available and in line with fifth character coding standards), for the code to be
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
valid
Describe what must be done when a three character code does not have fourth character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
subdivisions and why this is. - ✔✔Where a three character category code is not subdivided
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
into four character subdivisions the 'X' filler must be assigned in the fourth character field
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
so the codes are of a standard length for data processing and validation. The code is still
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
considered a three character code from a classification perspective. || || || || || || || ||
Where a three character code requires assignment of both the 'X' filler and a fifth character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
subdivision, the 'X' filler must continue to be recorded in the fourth field before the fifth
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
character.
Why are cross reference provided in the ICD index? - ✔✔Cross references are provided in
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the Alphabetical Index to ensure that all possible terms or its synonyms are referenced by
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the coder. Cross references explicitly direct the coder to other entries in the index
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Name the two types of cross reference found within ICD-10 and describe their purpose. -
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
✔✔See
This is an explicit direction to look elsewhere as no codes can be found alongside this cross
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
reference. It is used to direct the coder to another lead term in the Alphabetical Index where
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
NCCQ theory ICD10 Exam with precise detailed solutions || || || || || || ||
What is clinical coding? - ✔✔Clinical coding is the translation of medical terminology that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
describes a patient's complaint, problem, diagnosis, treatment or other reason for seeking
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
medical attention into codes that can then be easily tabulated, aggregated and sorted for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
statistical analysis in an efficient and meaningful manner.
|| || || || || || ||
What is coding uniformity and why is it important? - ✔✔Uniformity means that whenever
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
a given condition or reason for an episode is coded, the same code is always used to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
represent that condition or reason for the encounter. Uniformity is essential if the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
information is to be useful and comparable || || || || || ||
What are the three dimensions of coding accuracy? - ✔✔Individual codes
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Totality of codes || ||
Sequencing of codes || ||
What is meant by Individual codes? - ✔✔Each clinical statement of diagnosis must have the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
correct code assignment. An individual patient may have many diagnoses (or procedures).
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Consequently a coded record for an episode will have at least one or potentially many || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
individual codes. ||
What is meant by totality of codes and why is this important? - ✔✔The concept of totality of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
codes is complex. It means that all codes necessary to give an accurate clinical picture of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the patient's diagnosis, problems or other reasons for an episode encounter, must be
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
assigned in accordance with the rules, conventions and standards of the classification. This
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
is important as it is possible for a list of codes to describe an episode incorrectly in terms of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
clinical coding rules and standards even though the individual codes selected are correct.
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
What is meant by sequencing of codes, why is this important and what is a significant
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
aspect of this? - ✔✔Codes must be sequenced in accordance with clinical coding standards
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,2
to provide consistent data for statistical analysis. A significant aspect of sequencing is the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
selection of the main condition treated || || || || ||
How many steps make up the coding process? - ✔✔Four
|| || || || || || || || ||
What is step one of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step One
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Analyse medical terminology to determine lead term(s) and modifier(s)
|| || || || || || || ||
What is step two of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Two
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Locate the lead term(s) in the Alphabetical Index (ICD-10 Volume 3)
|| || || || || || || || || ||
What is step three of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Three
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Assign a tentative code(s) using the Alphabetical Index and taking into account all rules,
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
conventions and standards. || ||
What is step four of the four step coding process? - ✔✔Step Four
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Verify the code(s) using the Tabular List (ICD-10 Volume 1) and taking into account
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
instructional notes. ||
If there is a doubt as to where a condition should be coded, what chapters must take
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
priority? - ✔✔The 'special group' chapters must take priority.
|| || || || || || || ||
How many chapters make up ICD-10? - ✔✔22 chapters
|| || || || || || || ||
Name the types of chapters within ICD-10, describe briefly their content and give the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
chapter numbers that fall within each type. - ✔✔Special group chapters
|| || || || || || || || || ||
, 2
Chapters I-V, XV-XVII and XIX classify conditions that do not focus on any one body
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
system. In general, conditions are primarily classified to one of the 'special group' chapters.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Body system chapters || ||
Chapters VI-XIV classify conditions according to the body system they affect.
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Other chapters ||
Chapters XVIII and XX-XXII classify other disorders and factors which do not sit
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
comfortably in either a special group or body system chapter || || || || || || || || ||
What character levels must code assignment be made to, within ICD-10, to make the code
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
valid? - ✔✔Code assignment must always be made to four character level or five character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
level (where available and in line with fifth character coding standards), for the code to be
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
valid
Describe what must be done when a three character code does not have fourth character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
subdivisions and why this is. - ✔✔Where a three character category code is not subdivided
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
into four character subdivisions the 'X' filler must be assigned in the fourth character field
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
so the codes are of a standard length for data processing and validation. The code is still
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
considered a three character code from a classification perspective. || || || || || || || ||
Where a three character code requires assignment of both the 'X' filler and a fifth character
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
subdivision, the 'X' filler must continue to be recorded in the fourth field before the fifth
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
character.
Why are cross reference provided in the ICD index? - ✔✔Cross references are provided in
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the Alphabetical Index to ensure that all possible terms or its synonyms are referenced by
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the coder. Cross references explicitly direct the coder to other entries in the index
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Name the two types of cross reference found within ICD-10 and describe their purpose. -
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
✔✔See
This is an explicit direction to look elsewhere as no codes can be found alongside this cross
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
reference. It is used to direct the coder to another lead term in the Alphabetical Index where
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
