AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the prefix 'hyper-' mean in medical terminology?
- Below normal
- Excessive or above normal (Correct answer)
- Normal
- Slow
Correct answer: Excessive or above normal
In medical terminology, the prefix 'hyper-' consistently indicates something that is excessive, above normal, or increased. For example, 'hypertension' refers to abnormally high blood pressure, and 'hyperglycemia' means an excessive amount of glucose in the blood. Understanding this prefix helps in deciphering the meaning of many medical terms.
Question 2: What does the suffix '-itis' indicate?
- Disease
- Condition
- Inflammation (Correct answer)
- Surgical removal
Correct answer: Inflammation
The suffix '-itis' refers to inflammation of a particular organ or tissue.
Question 3: Which abbreviation stands for 'as needed' in medical instructions?
- BID
- PRN (Correct answer)
- TID
- QID
Correct answer: PRN
'PRN' is the standard medical abbreviation for 'as needed'.
Question 4: What does 'ICD-10-CM' stand for?
- International Code of Disease
- Internal Care Documentation
- International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (Correct answer)
- Independent Clinical Diagnosis
Correct answer: International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification
ICD-10-CM stands for International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification, used for coding diagnoses.
Question 5: What is the purpose of CPT codes?
- To record insurance premiums
- To describe healthcare services provided (Correct answer)
- To explain patient complaints
- To monitor patient satisfaction
Correct answer: To describe healthcare services provided
CPT codes are used to describe medical, surgical, and diagnostic services for billing and documentation purposes.
Question 6: What does the term 'comorbidity' mean?
- A new condition unrelated to the primary one
- An existing separate disorder
- A co-existing condition alongside a primary diagnosis (Correct answer)
- A condition caused by surgery
Correct answer: A co-existing condition alongside a primary diagnosis
Comorbidity refers to the presence of one or more additional conditions occurring with a primary condition.
Question 7: Which coding system is primarily used for outpatient procedures?
- ICD-10-PCS
- CPT (Correct answer)
- HCPCS Level II
- SNOMED CT
Correct answer: CPT
CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes are mainly used to report outpatient and office procedures.
Question 8: In medical coding, what does 'upcoding' mean?
- Choosing a lower-paying code
- Using a higher-paying code fraudulently (Correct answer)
- Reporting an unrelated diagnosis
- Billing only for supplies
Correct answer: Using a higher-paying code fraudulently
Upcoding refers to the fraudulent practice of using a code that provides a higher reimbursement than the actual service performed.
Question 9: Which guideline emphasizes coding only the conditions that affect patient care?
- All documented conditions must be coded
- Only conditions treated or addressed during the encounter are coded (Correct answer)
- Secondary conditions are prioritized
- All historical conditions must be coded
Correct answer: Only conditions treated or addressed during the encounter are coded
The coding guideline to report only those conditions that affect the current encounter and patient care ensures appropriate and ethical coding.
AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 1
What does the prefix 'hyper-' mean in medical terminology?