Introduction To EHR Palmer Practice Test

Which coding system is explicitly described as alphanumeric for diagnoses?

SNOMED CT ICD-9 numeric ICD-10 alphanumeric codes CPT codes

Correct Answer:

ICD-10 alphanumeric codes

Explanation:

ICD-10-CM is the diagnosis coding system described as alphanumeric. Its codes combine letters and numbers, which creates a larger, more precise set of diagnoses than the old numeric-only system. Codes typically start with a letter and are followed by digits, often with a decimal point and additional digits (for example, E11.9 for a certain type of diabetes). This mixed-letter-and-number structure expands coding capacity to capture more detail in medical records. In contrast, ICD-9-CM used only digits, and CPT codes are for procedures rather than diagnoses. SNOMED CT identifiers are numeric strings, not the standard alphanumeric diagnosis codes used in routine medical coding.

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