Medical coding systems receive as input medical terms which coders classify into medical codes, used in the remuneration of medical procedures. A set of applicable medical codes can be determined by intersecting multidimensional data structures associated with the input terms and counting medical codes occupying regions of intersection. If the resulting set contains a single code, it is presented to the coder for verification. If the resulting set contains more than a single code, the coder can be questioned in a variety of ways to access, and select from, terminology options not implied by the originally provided input terms. The interactive process may also use the multidimensional data structures to regulate the order of questions, present decision aids, and select related procedure codes. The interaction concludes when the coder has fully specified the proper code or codes that describe the required procedure or procedures.
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