A core outpatient guideline difference is how to handle uncertainty in diagnoses. In the inpatient setting, facilities may code diagnoses documented as ''probable,'' ''suspected,'' ''likely,'' or ''rule out'' at discharge if they meet inpatient reporting rules. In outpatient/office settings, however, uncertain conditions generally are not coded as established diagnoses because the encounter is often focused on evaluation rather than confirmed final diagnoses. Instead, outpatient coding relies on confirmed conditions and/or signs and symptoms when a definitive diagnosis has not been made. This is why outpatient CDI education emphasizes precise provider language: if the clinician is still evaluating, they should document the symptom/abnormal finding and the assessment plan; if the condition is confirmed, they should state it clearly and link it to evaluation/management performed. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because chronic conditions may need to be reported whenever they are assessed/managed, ''first-listed'' is an outpatient concept distinct from inpatient ''principal,'' and documentation should support all clinically relevant conditions addressed, not only the chief complaint.