Which of the following should be regularly audited in a monitoring program for inpatient coding compliance?

The correct answer focuses on auditing ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding. Regular audits of these coding systems are essential for ensuring compliance in inpatient coding, as they directly impact reimbursement, quality reporting, and overall clinical documentation integrity. ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification) is used for the diagnosis coding of patients, while ICD-10-PCS (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System) is exclusively for coding inpatient procedure services.

Auditing these codes helps to identify inaccuracies, potential areas for improvement, and ensures that the coding reflects the clinical documentation. This compliance is not only important for proper reimbursement from payers but also for adhering to regulatory requirements and maintaining the quality of patient records. Furthermore, given that inpatient services typically involve a variety of diagnoses and complex procedures, the importance of accuracy in both ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding cannot be overstated.

The other coding systems mentioned in the other options, such as CPT and LOINC, while also important in the grand scheme of healthcare coding and compliance practices, do not pertain specifically to inpatient coding compliance as directly as ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS do