CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition

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CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition

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CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition

Reviewed by Tamara A. Hicks, BSN, MHA, RN, CCS, CCDS, CCDS-O

The first years of a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) specialist’s career often feel like a whirlwind of learning—even more so for those embarking on CDI reviews in the outpatient setting. As outpatient CDI efforts continue to grow, CDI professionals increasingly look to show their expertise.

The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) developed the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist-Outpatient (CCDS-O) credential to provide a trusted baseline of competency for CDI in the outpatient setting, which includes locations such as physician practices, hospital clinics, and the emergency department.

The CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition, has been updated for 2023 and contains all the latest information you will need to sit for the CCDS exam with confidence.

The second edition aligns the testing content domains chronologically, matching how CDI professionals obtain core skill sets. It provides targeted information regarding test objectives prepared by the CCDS-O Certification Committee, letting candidates focus their time on areas of CDI practice with which they are least familiar.

This new version includes updates related to changes in the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, outpatient initiatives, query practice guidance, and evaluation and management coding.

Spiral-bound to make studying with colleagues easier, this study guide also comes with an online practice exam complete with remediation, so candidates can quickly understand why an answer is correct or incorrect.

The CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition, will:

  • Help candidates determine whether they are ready to take the exam
  • Give qualified candidates the confidence they need to succeed
  • Provide sample questions for self-assessment

The CCDS-O Exam Study Guide, Second Edition reviews:

  • Healthcare regulations, reimbursement, and documentation requirements
  • Risk adjustment models
  • Quality and regulatory concerns for outpatient initiatives
  • Anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology
  • The outpatient CDI review process
  • Program measures and provider education


Click here to learn more about prerequisites for taking the exam or to apply.


Published: September 2023

Page count: 152
Dimensions: 8.5” X 11” spiral bound
ISBN: 978-1-64535-266-2

Table of Contents

*Full Table of Contents coming soon!

About the Reviewer

Tamara A. Hicks, BSN, RN, MHA, CCS, CCDS, CCDS-O, ACM-RN

Tamara Hicks is the director of clinical documentation excellence (CDE) at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (AHWFB) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she is responsible for the enterprise CDE department at AHWFB’s five campuses. She was one of the original staff when AHWFB rolled out its clinical documentation integrity (CDI) program in 1999, and since then she has participated in building and expanding the program by educating staff and faculty, providing leadership, promoting departmental goals, and coordinating department operations. She is a member of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS), where she served as a founding member of the ACDIS Advisory Board and the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) Certification Board. She was reelected to serve on the ACDIS Advisory Board in 2016. In 2019, she earned the CDI Professional of the Year award from ACDIS. Contact her at thicks@wakehealth.edu.

Add Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS)

ACDIS is a community of CDI professionals who share the latest tips, tools, and strategies to implement successful CDI programs and achieve professional growth.

ACDIS members receive: 

  • Advocacy and leadership from a peer-elected ACDIS Advisory Board, including peer-reviewed Position Papers and White Papers.
  • Weekly tips, news, and strategies in our e-newsletter, CDI Strategies
  • In-depth news and regulatory information, clinically-based articles, case studies on building successful CDI programs, and membership profiles in our bi-monthly electronic journal, the CDI Journal
  • An opportunity to network with peers and colleagues in the ACDIS Forum
  • Access to live and archived quarterly conference calls, hour-long networking discussions and an open Q&A with the ACDIS Advisory Board
  • Helpful tools accessed in our electronic Resource Library, including sample queries, policies, and archived conference presentations
  • Two free job postings a year, discounted additional posts, and the ability to post your resume on our Career Center
  • Opportunities to participate in an Official ACDIS Local Chapter in your area, under the leadership of the Chapter Advisory Board
  • Discounts to the annual ACDIS conference, CCDS certification, and CDI Boot Camps


To explore all that ACDIS has to offer, please
visit the ACDIS Web site.