Question

In the outpatient setting, a diagnosis that is documented as ''ruled out'' should not be reported.

A) True
B) False

Answer 1

In outpatient medical coding, a 'ruled out' diagnosis should not be reported because only confirmed diagnoses are to be documented. This follows the guidelines provided by the ICD.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the outpatient setting, a diagnosis that is "ruled out" should not be reported as a confirmed diagnosis. This is because until a diagnosis is confirmed, it remains a hypothesis and not a fact. Medical coding guidelines, such as those provided by the ICD (International Classification of Diseases), dictate that only diagnoses that are confirmed should be reported on outpatient records. If a diagnosis is considered but later "ruled out" after evaluation, it is not reported because it was not actually present.