Question

_____ are used to report encounters for circumstances other than a disease or injury in ICD-10-CM

A) Supplementary classifications

B) External cause codes

C) Z codes

D) Placeholder X codes

Answer 1

Z codes are the correct answer for reporting encounters for circumstances other than a disease or injury in ICD-10-CM. They allow documentation of significant healthcare encounters that do not involve an actual disease or injury.

Step-by-step explanation:

Z codes are used to report encounters for circumstances other than a disease or injury in ICD-10-CM. These codes play a critical role in the medical field by allowing healthcare professionals to accurately document patient encounters that do not involve an actual disease or injury but are significant for the patient's care. Such encounters may include preventive healthcare, screenings, or circumstances that influence the patient's health status.

For example, when a patient seeks treatment for a viral infection, ICD codes, including Z codes, are routinely used by clinicians. In the application of ICD codes, you would likely find an ICD code used by medical laboratories to identify tests that must be performed to confirm the diagnosis, and by the health-care management system to verify that all treatments and laboratory work performed are appropriate for the given virus.