When CCDA validation detects non-conforming codes, what usually happens?

• A. The codes are automatically corrected by the system without user input.
• B. Validation fails and the document may be rejected until codes are corrected.
• C. The document is accepted as-is with warning only.
• D. The recipient ignores warnings.

Answer: (B)

When CCDA validation detects codes that don’t meet the required standards, the system treats the document as non-conforming and typically halts processing. The usual workflow is that validation fails and the document is rejected or returned for correction until the codes are brought into alignment with the allowed value sets. This strict outcome protects data quality and interoperability, ensuring that coded information like diagnoses, procedures, and medications is accurate and consistently interpretable across systems. Auto-correcting codes or accepting with warnings would risk introducing incorrect data or undermining the purpose of validation, and a recipient ignoring warnings would defeat the validation process.