Outpatient CDI performance is best measured by metrics that reflect ambulatory documentation quality, risk-adjustment accuracy, and provider engagement.HCC capture rateis central because outpatient CDI frequently supports risk adjustment (e.g., CMS-HCC/HHS-HCC) and aims to ensure chronic conditions are accurately documented, linked, and reported when they are actively managed.Unspecified code utilization rateis a practical quality metric for provider education because high unspecified use often signals missed clinical specificity (severity, laterality, acuity, manifestations, staging) that can reduce coding accuracy, obscure patient complexity, and weaken data used for benchmarking and quality reporting.Query response rateis also a core operational KPI: it reflects provider participation, workflow effectiveness, and the CDI team’s ability to obtain timely clarifications that support compliant coding and complete clinical representation. In contrast,Medicare CMIandseverity of illnessare predominantly inpatient-focused constructs and are not the primary yardsticks for outpatient CDI program success. While aggregate RAF and quality indicators matter, the best “program performance” set is the one directly tied to outpatient CDI levers: HCC capture, specificity/unspecified reduction, and query responsiveness.