# CDEO Study Guide



## TheStephCode (Mar 26, 2017)

Have any of you recently inquired about this study guide and gotten an update?  Last I heard it was to be available mid March but I don't see it yet.


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## dawnrosey (Mar 27, 2017)

I called about this last week.  I was told it would be the end of this month.  I am not holding my breath though,  I have gotten 4 different answers since I started inquiring last September.  The date keeps getting pushed back.


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## erjones147 (Mar 27, 2017)

I was very lucky in that my employer paid for the all-day CDEO "boot camp" the Saturday before the upcoming national conference. Other people have reported using study guides for similar AHIMA credentials. Obviously, some people were able to pass the test cold as soon as it was offered


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## TheStephCode (Mar 28, 2017)

I just called.  Now they are saying the end of April due to additional revisions.


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## Tami_F (Mar 28, 2017)

TheStephCode said:


> I just called.  Now they are saying the end of April due to additional revisions.



Thanks for the update. I need to call soon to push my exam date back again (can't do it myself since the exam price increased). I'll post an update if I hear anything different. 

I wonder how many of us are going to end up taking the exam over a year after purchasing it because of all this.


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## TheStephCode (May 1, 2017)

*CDEO Study Guide Update - Sort of*



TheStephCode said:


> I just called.  Now they are saying the end of April due to additional revisions.



Clearly that did not happen so I called again.  Now I am told that the guide is not ready and they do not have a projected date for them to be available.  When pressed, the gentleman at AAPC stated "maybe this summer",.. but I officially give up on waiting for this and will now rely upon study mats from AHIMA and Optum.

I would appreciate feedback from anyone who has taken this exam as to what you studied and which additional resource you suggest to take with me for the exam.  Any tips, guidance, pointers from CDEO certified folks much appreciated!


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## dawnrosey (May 2, 2017)

I myself just got off the phone with them and was also told that they have no idea when it will be ready.  My time runs out in July to take it so now they are trying to decide what to do about it.  I was told I paid for it knowing there wasn't a study guide so I may have to either take it without having any idea what I need to know for sure, or lose the money I paid for it.  I pointed out that when I signed up it was with the understanding the study guide would be released by the end of December.  Hopefully they can come up with some other option.


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## dawnrosey (May 2, 2017)

I just heard back from them.  They are not extending the time to take it and won't let me switch to a different exam.  Their advice was to just take it then I will know what I need to study for the retake.


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## Tami_F (May 3, 2017)

dawnrosey said:


> I just heard back from them.  They are not extending the time to take it and won't let me switch to a different exam.  Their advice was to just take it then I will know what I need to study for the retake.



What? That's *ridiculous*. It also is definitely not the policy across the board - if I were you I would try that conversation again. I have pushed my exam back to September because of this and not paid a penalty. When I chatted with someone at AAPC on Monday morning, she offered to extend the time as well. Definitely ask again.


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## dawnrosey (May 15, 2017)

My eyebrows just about shot right of my head when I read that!  Have then been lying the last year when they said it just was being edited????  This is insane!   I am taking my exam Saturday morning and have been studying based off the outline of what is covered.  I am not confident at all that I have a fighting chance of passing.   Hopefully my psychic abilities will be strong that morning!!


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## thelton (May 15, 2017)

Squiabro said:


> I attended Healthcon and spoke with representative at AAPC counter. She explained that there will not be study guide for CDEO exam. AAPC is offering training session which will cost over thousand dollars. She explained that this is "go live" on June 1st, but at this moment I can purchase this training for 1/2 price.
> Very disappointed with this outcome and determined to take and pass the test with my own study materials.
> Good Luck to all of you!



Is the AAPC going to offer this half price to everyone or do you have to call them now to get it?


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## kristina.l.bennett@osfhealthcare.org (May 22, 2017)

*Cdeo*



dawnrosey said:


> My eyebrows just about shot right of my head when I read that!  Have then been lying the last year when they said it just was being edited????  This is insane!   I am taking my exam Saturday morning and have been studying based off the outline of what is covered.  I am not confident at all that I have a fighting chance of passing.   Hopefully my psychic abilities will be strong that morning!!



How did the test go?  I'm wanting to take this exam but have been hesitant with not having published study materials. 

Kristi


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## dawnrosey (May 24, 2017)

It did not go well.  I failed horribly.  I would recommend waiting until there was some kind of study materials.  I have the subscription to their webinars and I watched many of them in order to prepare.  I am hoping they release something before I have to retake it.  It seems a little unfair to have an exam but not have anything available covering the information.  It's just setting people up to fail.


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## Tami_F (May 24, 2017)

dawnrosey said:


> It did not go well.  I failed horribly.  I would recommend waiting until there was some kind of study materials.  I have the subscription to their webinars and I watched many of them in order to prepare.  I am hoping they release something before I have to retake it.  It seems a little unfair to have an exam but not have anything available covering the information.  It's just setting people up to fail.



Thank you for coming back to let us know how your exam went. I'm sorry to hear that you failed, and hope you ace your retake. 

Based on some of the recent responses in this thread, I'm interested to see if any CDEO-related exam prep becomes available on June 1st. If not, that would make a full year without study materials since the exam was first offered. Given all the run-around and inconsistent answers provided to the members in these threads, I am not enthusiastic about the idea of giving more money to AAPC for the privilege of preparing for an exam that I've been waiting a year to take.


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## TheStephCode (May 27, 2017)

squiabro said:


> I attended Healthcon and spoke with representative at AAPC counter. She explained that there will not be study guide for CDEO exam. AAPC is offering training session which will cost over thousand dollars. She explained that this is "go live" on June 1st, but at this moment I can purchase this training for 1/2 price.
> Very disappointed with this outcome and determined to take and pass the test with my own study materials.
> Good Luck to all of you!



That is disappointing, to say the least, if it proves to be true.  I've been told by numerous people at AAPC over the past year that it was being edited and would be ready in summer 2016, then fall 2016, then December 2016, then May 2017 and lastly that it was still being edited but they no longer have a release date.  I find it hard to believe they would keep informing members the study guide was being edited if it were not true.  I'm going to remain hopeful that they eventually drop a study guide.


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## twizzle (May 28, 2017)

*CDEO study guide*



TheStephCode said:


> That is disappointing, to say the least, if it proves to be true.  I've been told by numerous people at AAPC over the past year that it was being edited and would be ready in summer 2016, then fall 2016, then December 2016, then May 2017 and lastly that it was still being edited but they no longer have a release date.  I find it hard to believe they would keep informing members the study guide was being edited if it were not true.  I'm going to remain hopeful that they eventually drop a study guide.



It does seem rather strange that one person from AAPC says there will be a study guide and another says there won't. I have asked several times when it will be ready and the last I heard was in the first quarter of 2017 which obviously isn't true.

Shame they can't tell us the truth. It's totally unacceptable to treat members so badly when we pay good money to be a member and to take their tests.

i reached out to AAPC a few weeks ago requesting an update and no one has been polite enough to even respond.


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## tfeece (Jun 6, 2017)

dawnrosey said:


> My eyebrows just about shot right of my head when I read that!  Have then been lying the last year when they said it just was being edited????  This is insane!   I am taking my exam Saturday morning and have been studying based off the outline of what is covered.  I am not confident at all that I have a fighting chance of passing.   Hopefully my psychic abilities will be strong that morning!!



Dawnrosey,  How did it go?  I too am signed up for the CDEO and also plan on using the outline as a guide.  I wondered how that worked out for you?  Any advise for the other anxious CDEO test takers?

Thanks!
Terri


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## dawnrosey (Jun 6, 2017)

That is how I went about studying.  I took all the Webinars aapc offers in relation to anything on the outline and then read as many articles I could fine on the web page.  The problem I have is that there is just so much info out there I had no idea what to focus on.  I am really hopeful some kind of study guide comes out before I have to take it again because even though I have taken it I still don't know what to study!


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## Squiabro (Jun 7, 2017)

*Cdeo*

Called AAPC today. Something is coming in July- either study guide or training course and no further information is available.


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## TheStephCode (Jun 14, 2017)

Riddle me this, oh wise ones.  Would any of you have a suggestion for a single resource to provide the following information?  Maybe not so much the ICD-10, but I would LOVE to find a single source to study for 1-5 instead of having to research every condition individually.


The CDEO exam thoroughly covers:
*Clinical conditions*
45 questions

For each of clinical conditions listed below: (1) understand clinical picture, (2) criteria for diagnosis (lab work, radiology, etc.), (3) common medications, (4) common abbreviations, (5) common treatment profiles. (6) Understand documentation requirements necessary for code assignment based on ICD-10 guidelines.


Aortic aneurysm
Amputation
Artificial openings
Aortic stenosis/sclerosis
Adjuvant therapy
Burns
CAD
Congenital versus acquired conditions
Anemia (blood loss) polycythemia
Crohn's disease
Common conditions of the ear
Common conditions in pregnancy
Cirrhosis
Chronic Kidney Disease
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiac conduction conditions – A-fib, sick sinus syndrome
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease– bronchitis, asthma
CVA vs. TIA
Drug Dependence
Diabetes
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Epilepsy
Fractures
Heart failure
Head injury
HIV/AIDS
Hemiplegia
Hypertension
Active versus history of neoplasm
Hypoxia
Malnutrition
Major Depression
Metastatic
Myocardial infarction
Morbid obesity and BMI
Neuropathy
Parkinson's disease
Pathological osteoporosis fractures
Pneumonia
Common conditions in the perinatal period
Pressure ulcers
Peripheral vascular disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sepsis
Sequelae events (stroke, trauma)
Transplant status
Venous stasis ulcers


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## dawnrosey (Jun 14, 2017)

I used the merck manual.  For the most part it covered what I needed.


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## mhaag (Jun 15, 2017)

I appreciate all of the comments on this!  I have been considering taking this certification but have been waiting for there to be some study materials available.  For those of you who have attempted or are scheduled to take the test, can I ask what type and how much experience you have?  Also, what areas did you feel most unprepared for?

Thanks!
Melissa Haag, RHIT, CPMA


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## TheStephCode (Jun 16, 2017)

Thank you dawnrosey!





mhaag said:


> For those of you who have attempted or are scheduled to take the test, can I ask what type and how much experience you have?  Also, what areas did you feel most unprepared for?



I am very much interested in this feedback as well.



*I have some news* and the source is someone I trust at AAPC.  I'm told a CDEO course and practice exam will be available in July and they will indeed release a study guide but it will be delayed several more months.  I bet they sell out in 5 minutes like a Beiber concert, lol.


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## Tami_F (Jun 23, 2017)

dawnrosey said:


> I used the merck manual.  For the most part it covered what I needed.


This is a great reference, thank you! 




TheStephCode said:


> *I have some news* and the source is someone I trust at AAPC.  I'm told a CDEO course and practice exam will be available in July and they will indeed release a study guide but it will be delayed several more months.  I bet they sell out in 5 minutes like a Beiber concert, lol.



Here's hoping your source is right. It will be so nice to move forward with this, whenever it happens.


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## Tami_F (Jul 3, 2017)

TheStephCode said:


> *I have some news* and the source is someone I trust at AAPC.  I'm told a CDEO course and practice exam will be available in July and they will indeed release a study guide but it will be delayed several more months.  I bet they sell out in 5 minutes like a Beiber concert, lol.



You/your source was right, Steph! *HOORAY.*

Now, we just have to figure out if we want to pay that much for it 

ETA: Has anyone here completed one of AAPC's exam preparation courses? Are they worth the expense?


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## TheStephCode (Jul 3, 2017)

The training course dropped.

https://www.aapc.com/training/cdeo-complete-training-package.aspx


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