Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) Practice Exam

How many codes does ICD-9 provide for diagnosis usage?

1. Approximately 5,000

2. Approximately 13,000

3. Approximately 20,000

4. Approximately 30,000

The correct answer is: Approximately 13,000

The correct answer is that ICD-9 provides approximately 13,000 codes for diagnosis usage. The ICD-9 coding system includes a wide range of codes that cover various diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures. This coding system was widely used to classify diseases and health conditions for statistical purposes, billing, and medical record-keeping before it was updated to ICD-10, which expanded the number of codes significantly. A range of about 13,000 diagnosis codes allows for detailed documentation of patient diagnoses across many medical specialties, ensuring proper categorization and facilitating healthcare reporting and billing processes. The specificity provided by these codes helps healthcare providers communicate more effectively about patients' conditions, enabling better planning and tracking of healthcare delivery. While the other options suggest a higher number of codes, the reality is that the ICD-9 system was limited compared to its successor, ICD-10, which offered a much larger range of codes to accommodate the complexity and diversity of modern medicine.