Can be used to identify the coding scheme in use when a case was originally coded.

• A. Lead time error
• B. Administrative data items
• C. Relevance of a data item
• D. Data dictionary

Answer: (B)

The way to determine which coding system was used for a case is to inspect the actual codes stored in administrative data fields. Administrative data items include diagnosis and procedure codes that reflect the coding scheme used for billing and records. By looking at the format, length, and prefixes of those codes, you can usually tell which system was in place: ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are numeric with up to five digits and a decimal (for example 250.00), while ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes start with a letter and use longer alphanumeric strings (for example E11.9); procedure codes follow similar patterns (ICD-9-CM procedures are numeric, ICD-10-PCS are seven alphanumeric characters, CPT codes are five-digit numbers). A data dictionary helps interpret codes but does not itself reveal the coding scheme used, whereas lead time error or relevance of a data item addresses different data quality or relevance issues. So, administrative data items are the clearest way to identify the coding scheme originally used.