1/ Why are there different guidelines for inpatient versus outpatient coding? The field of medical coding offers two broad career paths that aspirants can pursue - outpatient coding and inpatient coding. There are some differences in not just the training required for the two career paths, but also in the job itself. Inpatient coding is done in hospitals for those who were admitted for an extended stay. Typically this coding is more complex because it involves longer patient records. Inpatient coding positions typically require more education, experience, or certification, but there is also usually more advancement opportunity because the positions are typically in larger organizations. Inpatient coders are often