CEDC study plan

Map the ED encounter from arrival to disposition and label each coding-relevant data element (facility vs. professional)

Distinguish facility coding rules from professional coding rules for the same ED visit and list three places they diverge

Identify which documentation elements are required to support each ED E/M level under both 1995/1997 and medical decision-making frameworks

Build a one-page quick-reference of ED guideline sources and where each applies

Assign ED E/M levels to 20 practice scenarios using MDM (problems, data, risk) and justify each level in writing

Assign the same 20 scenarios using 1995/1997 key components and compare results

Identify scenarios where critical care is supported versus where ED E/M is correct, and state the deciding documentation

Document the boundary between ED E/M and observation or subsequent hospital care

Code 15 ED E/M scenarios end-to-end, selecting both CPT and ICD-10-CM for each

Apply ICD-10-CM sequencing rules for ED encounters, including principal/first-listed diagnosis selection

Distinguish definitive diagnoses from symptoms and unspecified codes, and defend each choice

Identify which diagnoses are reportable as additional codes versus integral to the primary condition

Classify 15 wound scenarios by complexity (simple, intermediate, complex) and defend the classification

Calculate repair length and assign the correct code for each scenario, including multiple-wound aggregation rules

Determine when wound repair is separately reportable versus bundled into another procedure

Apply site-specific and size-specific grouping rules to wounds in the same and different anatomic sites

Distinguish closed treatment, open treatment, and percutaneous treatment for 15 fracture scenarios

Determine when a fracture code includes or excludes the reduction, and when a separate procedure code is required

Assign splint and strapping codes correctly, including when application is bundled with fracture care

Apply dislocation and multiple-injury coding rules, including sequencing and modifier use

Code 12 respiratory and cardiovascular procedure scenarios (e.g., airway management, nebulizer treatment, ECG, cardioversion) and identify bundling conflicts

Select ICD-10-CM codes for respiratory and cardiovascular diagnoses using combination codes where required

Apply ICD-10-CM conventions for laterality, episode of care, and combination coding across all body systems covered so far

Resolve 10 diagnosis-coding scenarios that require two or more codes to fully describe the encounter

Apply modifier rules (e.g., distinct procedural service, repeat procedure, bilateral) to 10 ED scenarios and justify each modifier

Identify bundling edits and global-package inclusions that affect ED procedure payment

Write a compliance checklist for ED documentation that would catch the five most common downcoding or upcoding risks

Explain how medical necessity documentation drives reimbursement for E/M and procedures in the ED

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under exam conditions and score each by domain

Re-code every missed question and write the rule that would have produced the correct answer

Re-drill the two lowest-scoring domains using your own worksheets from weeks 1-7

Summarize the 20 rules you most often missed into a single review sheet