AHIMA Questions and Answers Updated 2026

AHIMA Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
explainBtheBprocessBaBcoderBmustBfollowBwhenBconflictingBdocumentationBexistsB-
BAnswerpatientsBwhoBareBadmittedBtoBanBinpatientBstatusBinBtheBhospitalBmayBbeBassessedB
byBmultipleBphysicians.Binevitably,BtheBdocumentationBofBtheBvariousBphysiciansBwillBconflict.B
forBexample,BtheBattendingBphysicianBmayBdocumentBacuteBrenalBfailure,BbutBtheBnephrology
BconsultantBdocumentsBacuteBrenalBfailure.,BbutBtheBnephrologyBconsultantBdocumentsBacute
BrenalBdisease.BsinceBfailureBandBdiseaseBinBthisBparticularBcaseBequateBtoBdifferentBcodes,Bt
heBcoderBwillBneedBclarification,BandBthatBclrificationBisBbestBachievedBthroughBtheBinitiationB
ofBaBquery.BtheBqueryBwouldBneedBtoBrevealBtheBconflictingBinformationBandBaskBforBtheBfin
alBdecisionBasBtoBwhichBdiagnosisBisBcorrect,BotherBclinicalBindicatorsBshouldBbeBaBpartBofBth
rBqueryBinBorderBtoBdemonstrateBtoBtheBphysicianBwhyBtheBinformationBisBconflicting.BforBex
ample,BinBthisBacuteBrenalBfailureBversusBdiseaseBscenario,BtheBcoderBmayBchooseBtoBinclude
BtheBclinicalBindicatorsBpertainingBtoBaBriseBinBtheBbun\creatinineBasBwellBasBtheBurineBoutp
utBamounts.



youBareBaBmemberBofBhospitalsBHIMBcommittee.BtheBcommitteeBhasBcreatedBaBHIPAAcomplia
ntBauthorizationBformBwhichBofBtheBfollowingBitemsBdoesBtheBprivacyBruleBrequireBforBtheBfo
rm?B-BAnsweridentificationBofBtheBpersonBoeBentityBauthorizedBtoBreceiveBPHI



provideBexamplesBofBaBleadingBqueryB-
BAnswerleadingBprovider\physicianBqueriesBareBnotBacceptableBinBhealthcare.BfollowingBareBex
amplesBofBinappropriateBleadingBqueries:BaBqueryBthatBprovidestheBphysicianBwithBoptionsBth
atBonlyBleadtoBadditionalBreimbursement.BaBqueryBthatBdoesBnotBcontainBallBtheBrequiredBcli
nicalBindicatorsBtoBpaintBtheBfullBclinicalBpictureBofBtheBpatientsBcondition.BaBqueryBwhereinB
theBstatementsBareBdirectiveBinBnature,BsuchBasBindicatingBwhatBtheBproviderBshouldBdocume
nt,BratherBthanBqueryingBtheBproviderBforBhis\herBprofessionalBdeterminationBofBtheBclinicalBf
acts.BaBqueryBthatBleadsBtheBproviderBtoBoneBdesiredBoutcome.BaBqueryBthatBomitsBreasona
bleBclinicallyBsupportedBoptions.BaBqueryBthatBomitsBanBoptionBthatBnoBadditionalBdocument
ationBorBclarificationBmayBbeBprovided.



explainBtheB4BmajorBattributesBofBicdB10BpcsBcodesB-
BAnswertheBstructureBofBicdB9BcmBcolumeB3BforBproceduralBcodingBwasBnotBcapableBofBinvo
lvingBintoBmoreBcodesBnecessaryBforBkeepingBupBwithBtheBexplosionBofBtechnologicalBadvanc
esBinBhealthcare.BitBbecameBmandatoryBinBtheBicdB10BrealmBforBproceduralBcodesBtoBbeBdes
ignedBinBsuchBaBwayBasBtoBaccomodateBgrowthBlongBterm.BtheBresultsBwasBicdB10BpcsBwith
BeliminationBofBaBthirdBvolume.BicdB10BpcsBwasBdevelopedBwithB4BmajorBattributesBandBthei
rBmeaningBinBmind:BcompletenessB(meaningBoneBuniqueBcodeBforBeachBdifferentBprocedure)B
expandibilityB(meaning-
BicdB10BpcsBallowsBforBtheBincorporationBofBnewBprocedureBcodesB)BmultiaxialB(meaning-
codesBconsistBofBindependentBcharactersBwithBtheBcapabilityBofBeachBretainingBmeaningBacros
sBbroadBrangesBofBcodes)BandBstandardizedBterminologyB(meaning0=-
eachBtermBmustBhaveBaBspecificBmeaning)BitBisBimportantBthatBcodersBthoroughlyBunderstand

,BtheBdefinitionsBforBallBtheBproceduresBandBtheBvariousBapproachesBtoBoperationsBasBthisBwi
llBbeBkeyBtoBcorrectBcodeBassignments.



brieflyBexplainBhowBaBmentoringBplanBforBnewBcodersBmightBbeBimplementedB-
BAnswerwithBtheBadventBofBicdB10BinBOctB2015,BnewBcodingBchallengesBsurfaced.BmanyBsea
sonedBorBexperiencedBcodersBretired,BandBnewBcoderBinterestBwasBinsufficient.BmanyBhealthc
areBentitiesBhaveBbeenBforcedBtoBdevelopBtrainingBplansBforBnewBcoders.BtheseBtrainingBplan
sBmayBincludeBaBmentorship.BanBidealBmentorshipBprogramBwouldBbeBstrucutredBinBtheBfollo
wingBmanner:BassignBaBmentorB(BanBexperiencedBcodingBprofessional)BtoB2BnewBcoders.Bthe
BmentorBwillBthenBreviewB100%BofBallBcodedBaccountsBbyBtheBnewBcodersBpriorBtoBbilling.Bt
heBmentorBwillBprovideBeducationalBfeedbackBshouldBalwaysBreferenceBapplicableBmedicalBinf
ormationBand\orBcodingBclinicBreferences.BtimeBshouldBbeBallottedBforBtheBnewBcodersBtoBre
viewBtheBfeedback,BholdBdiscussions,BandBreviewBmultipleBtrainingBresources.BaBkeyBcompone
ntBofBthisBtrainingBplanBisBopenBcommunication,BespeciallyBifBmentorsBandBcodersBworkBinBr
emoteBenvironments.



elaborateBonBthisBadageB"BifBitBisntBdocumentedB,BitBhasntBbeenBdone"B-
BAnswertheBstatementBhasBbeenBaBlongstandingBadageBwellBknownBtoBhealthBinformationBpr
ofessionals.BhealthcareBproviderBdocumentationBofBdiagnosesBandBtreatmentBrenderedBisBtheB
keyBtoBpreventingBdenials,BwinningBappeals,BandBpreventingBaccusationsBofBfraudulentBactivity
BbyBgovernmentalBagencies.BtheBcenterBforBmedicareBandBmedicaidBservicesBpointsBoutBthatB
clearBandBconciseBhealthBinformationBdocumentationBisBcriticalBtoBtheBqualityBofBpatientBcare
BandBisBrequiredBforBpaymentBofBservicesBrendered.BdocumentationBisBnecessaryBtoBsupportB
theBmedicalBnecessityBofBservicesBandBtoBensureBcomplianceBwithBregulatoryBrequirements.Bh
ealthcareBorganizationsBmustBhaveBpoliciesBandBproceduresBinBplaceBtoBmaintainBtheBintegrity
BofBtheBhealthBrecord.



discussBtheBintentBofBaBphysicianBqueryB-
BAnsweraBphysicianBqueryBisBaBtoolBofBcommunicationBbetweenBCDIBspecialist\BcodersBandBp
hysiciansBtoBclarifyBincomplete,Bambiguous,BorBconflictingBdocumentationBinBtheBmedicalBreco
rd.BtheBintentionBofBtheBcommunicationBtoolBisBtoBfacilitateBcompleteness,Baccuracy,Bconsiste
ncy,BandBtimelyBdocumentationBforBcoding,BandBreportingBpractices.BqueriesBareBanBessential
BtoolBandBprovideBadditionalBclarifficationBthatBallowsBcodingBandBreportingBtoBtheBhighestBle
velBofBspecifity.BitBisBbestBforBtheBphysiciansBqueryBtoBbeBmaintainedBasBaBpermanentBpartB
ofBtheBmedicalBrecordBsinceBitBisBconsideredBtoBbeBsupportingBdocumentationBforBassignedBc
odes.



explainBenterpriseBcontentBandBrecordsBmanagementB(ECRM)B-
BAnswerenterpriseBcontentBandBrecordsBmanagementB(ECRM)BcanBbeBdefinedBasBtheBmanage
mentBofBelectronicBinformationBcreatedBandBstoredBinBanalogBorBdigitalBformat,BwithBtheBrec
ordsBmanagementBcomponentBreferringBtoBtheBcreation,BreceiptBmaintenance,BuseBandBdispo
sitionBofBtheBhealthBinformation.BtoBmanageBhealthBinformation\healthBrecordBcontentBatBan
BenterpriseBlevel,BvariousBtechnologies,Btools,BandBmethodsBwillBbeBusedBtoBcreate,store,main

, tain,BandBdeliverBtheBhealthBinformation.BtheBlifeBcycleBbeginsBwithBtheBcreationBofBinformati
onBwithBtheBsourceBofBcreationBbeingBanBemail,Bpaper,BorBotherBknowledgeBsource.BtheBne
wlyBcreatedBhealthBinformationBisBreviewedBandBeditedBuntilBaBfinalBversionBisBpublishedBvia
BelectronicBhealthBrecordBsystems,BcorporateBportals,BcdBroms,BorBpdfBcollections.BtheBfinalBv
ersionBwillBmoveBthroughBaBstageBofBactiveBuseBuntilBitBbecomesBinactiveBandBisBretainedBu
ntilBapprovedBforBaBfinalBdisposition.BecrmBtoolsBandBtechnologiesBaidBhealthcareBentitiesBwit
hBrecordBmanagementBprocesses.BtheseBtoolsBmayBincludeBbarBcoding,BopticalBcharacterBreco
gnition,BclassificationBtools,BandBcomputerBoutputBtoolsBtoBlaserBdisks.



discussBtheBoptionsBavailableBforBqueryBformattingB-
BAnswerthereBareBseveralBwaysBtoBgenerateBaBqueryB:BcompliantBqueryBformsBallowBforBope
n-
endedBquestions,BmultipleBchoiceBqueryBformats,Band\orBlimitedByes\noBqueryBformats.BanBe
xampleBofBopen-
endedBqueryBmightBappearBinBthisBformat.BbasedBonByourBclinicalBjudgement,BpleaseBprovide
aBdiagnosisBthatBrepresentsBtheBfollowingBclinicalBindicators:BtemperatureB102,BcellulitisBaroun
dBankleBwithBopenBwound,BwhiteBbloodBcellBcountB15,000.BanBexampleBofBaBmultipleBchoice
BqueryBmightBappearBinBthisBformat:BperBtheBdischargeBsummary,BtheBpatientBhasBcongestive
BheartBfailureB(CHF)canBtheBchfBbeBfurtherBspecifiedBasB1)BacuteBsystolicBCHF.B2B)BacuteBon
BchronicBsystolicBCHFB3)BacuteBdiastolicBCHFB4)BacuteBonBchronicBdiastolicBCHFB5)Bundetermi
ned.BanBexampleBofBaByes\noBqueryBmightBappearBinBthisBformatBwasBtheBsepsisBdocumente
dBinBtheBdischargeBsummaryBpresentBonBadmission?Byes,Bno,BclinicallyBunableBtoBdetermine.



discussBtheBmeaningBandBpurposeBofBIGPHCB-
BAnswerAHIMAsBinformationBgovernanceBprinciplesBforBhealthcareB(IGPHC)BisBanBorganizationB
wideBframeworkBforBhealthcareBentitiesBtoBfollowBwhenBgoverningBinformationBmanagementB
strategies.BtheBframeworkBorBmodelBcanBbeBusedBforBprogramBdevelopmentBforBbenchmarkin
g.BitBisBbasedBonBtheBfollowingB8Bprinciples



accountability-
BanBindividualBatBtheBhealthcareBadministrativeBlevelBisBgivenBtheBresponsibilityBofBoverseerB
ofBtheBinformationBgovernanceBplan.

transparency-
BinformationBgovernanceBpracticesBshouldBbeBavailableBforBreviewBatBanyBtimeBwithBanBaudit
BtrailBavailableBtoBverifyBactivities.

integrity-healthcareBinformationBwillBmeetBauthenticityBandBreliabilityBexpectations.

protection-healthcareBinformationBwillBbeBprotectedBagainstBbreaches,Bcorruption,BandBloss.

compliance-BinformationBgovernanceBwillBmeetBregulatoryBrequirements.

availability-BinformationBwillBbeBretrievedBinBaBtimelyBandBefficientBmanner.

retention-
BinformationBwillBbeBretained\mainatinedBaccordingBtoBlegalBtimeBframeBrequirements.