RHIA Domain 3 Exam Prep 56 Questions with Verified Answers
A hospital is undergoing a major reconstruction project and a new director of nursing has
... [Show More] been hired. At the same time, the nursing documentation component of the EHR has been implemented. The fact that nursing staff satisfaction scores have risen is:
a. A result of anecdotal benefits of EHR
b. A result of qualitative benefits of EHR
c. A result of reconfiguration of the nursing units
d. Uncertain due to existence of confounding variables - CORRECT ANSWER d. Uncertain due to existence of confounding variables
In this situation there are too many changes occurring at the same time to determine what is improving the nursing staffing satisfaction scores. Any one item could be the reason for the improvement. To evaluate the impact of the electronic health record (EHR) nursing documentation component, a benefits realization study should have been utilized. This would have studied the impact of the EHR component before and after implementation (Amatayakul 2017, 106).
If a health plan analyst wanted to determine if the readmission rates for two hospitals were statistically different, what is the null hypothesis?
a. The readmission rates are not equal.
b. The readmission rates are equal.
c. The readmission rate for one hospital is larger than the other.
d. The readmission rate for one hospital is smaller than the other. - CORRECT ANSWER b. The readmission rates are equal.
The first step in statistical hypothesis testing is defining the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis is the status quo. In this example the readmission rates are equal would be the null hypothesis showing no relationship between the two hospitals (White 2016a, 65).
What architectural model of health information exchange allows participants to access data in point-to-point exchange?
a. Consolidated
b. Federated—consistent databases
c. Federated—inconsistent databases
d. Switch - CORRECT ANSWER c. Federated—inconsistent databases
The Federated—inconsistent databases—model for HIE includes multiple enterprises agreeing to connect and share specific information in a point-to-point manner (Amatayakul 2017, 417-418).
Which of the following lists represents recommended core data elements for the master patient index?
a. Date of birth, revenue code, accession number, and address
b. Name, address, revenue code, and accession number
c. Name, gender, address, and date of birth
d. Gender, address, accession number, and charge code - CORRECT ANSWER c. Name, gender, address, and date of birth
A master patient index (MPI) is an index of known patients within a single organization whose visits are linked together by a single identifier, typically the medical records number. Some recommended core data elements for the MPI are: name, address, gender, date of birth, and many others. Accession number, revenue code, and charge code are not recommended core data elements for the MPI (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 130).
A technique that describes an interaction between a user and a system is called a(n):
a. Use case analysis
b. RHIO
c. Test case
d. Use description - CORRECT ANSWER a. Use case analysis
A use case analysis is a technique that describes an interaction between a user and a system. A use case diagram displays the relationship among actors and use cases. The two main components of a use case diagram are use cases and actors. An actor represents a user or another system that will interact with the system being modeled. A use case is an external view of the system that represents some action the user might perform in order to complete a task (Oachs 2016, 824-825).
Consumer informatics is focused on ________
a. Consumer activation
b. Information structures and processes
c. Personalized medicine
d. Engagement - CORRECT ANSWER b. Information structures and processes
Consumer health informatics is a field devoted to informatics from multiple consumer or patient views and includes patient-focused informatics, health literacy, and consumer education, with a focus on information structures and processes that empower consumers to manage their own health (AMIA 2015; Sandefer 2016b, 425).
Community Memorial Hospital had 25 inpatient deaths, including newborns, during the month of June. The hospital had a total of 500 discharges for the same period, including deaths of adults, children, and newborns. The hospital's gross death rate for the month of June was:
a. 0.05%
b. 2%
c. 5%
d. 20% - CORRECT ANSWER c. 5%
The gross death rate is the proportion of all hospital discharges that ended in death. It is the basic indicator of mortality in a healthcare facility.
The gross death rate is calculated by dividing the total number of deaths occurring in a given time period by the total number of discharges, including deaths, for the same time period: 25/500 = 0.05 × 100 = 5% (Palkie 2016b, 296).
For an EHR to provide robust clinical decision support, what critical element must be present?
a. Structured data
b. Internet connection
c. Physician portal
d. Standard vocabulary - CORRECT ANSWER a. Structured data
If an EHR is to provide clinical decision support it requires two things: structured data and a clinical data repository (Sandefer 2016a, 364).
Assume you are the manager of a 10-physician group primary care practice. The physicians are interested in contracting with an application service provider to develop and manage patient records electronically. Which of the following statements is an indication that an application service provider (ASP) may be a good idea for this practice?
a. The practice does not have the up-front capital or IT staff needed to purchase and implement a system from a health information systems vendor.
b. The practice wants an electronic medical record system and wants to get into the IT management business as well.
c. The practice would like to have the system up and running in a relatively short period of time (less than four months).
d. The practice is not looking to purchase any additional hardware needed for an electronic medical record system. - CORRECT ANSWER a. The practice does not have the up-front capital or IT staff needed to purchase and implement a system from a health information systems vendor.
In an application service provider (ASP) model, there is much less upfront capital outlay and fewer IT staff required in-house. In fact, the ASP acquisition strategy may be considered essentially a financing model (Amatayakul 2016, 402).
In addition to bar codes on health record documents, what other forms of recognition characteristics enhance the accuracy of form indexing features?
a. Access controls
b. COLD
c. OCR
d. Workflow - CORRECT ANSWER c. OCR
The capability to retrieve documents from an electronic document management system (EDMS) is determined by the underlying technology used to store the documents. In addition to bar codes on medical record documents, optical character recognition (OCR) may be available to enhance the accuracy of indexing features on forms (Sandefer 2016a, 352).
To reduce the effect of a server crash in an EHR environment, it is advisable to:
a. Set up redundant systems
b. Have a storage area network
c. Store data in RAID
d. Have an inventory of all systems - CORRECT ANSWER a. Set up redundant systems
To achieve availability, an EHR must have full redundancy as well as backup and network redundancy. This means that there is a duplication of all data, hardware, cables, or other components of the system. Should the primary server crash, the system switches over to the second server and can continue processing (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 228).
A possible justification for building an information system in-house rather than purchasing one from a vendor is that:
a. It is cheaper to buy than to build
b. The facility has development teams they do not want to give up
c. Integration of systems will be easier
d. Vendor products are not comprehensive enough - CORRECT ANSWER b. The facility has development teams they do not want to give up
Most organizations recognize that commercial products can meet their needs and that most of these products will far surpass the functionality that could be self-developed. Still, some organizations want to at least consider the build option. Some physicians are intrigued with developing their own perfect system, and some hospitals have development teams they do not want to give up. An organization's decision to build or buy should be based on a careful review of the marketplace. Currently, it is more expensive to undertake self-development. Unless self-development is coupled with a vendor partnership that leads to commercialization, a self-developed system can be a drawback when attempting to integrate with commercial products as the organization grows, merges, or acquires affiliates (Amatayakul 2017, 191).
Which data collection program is the basis for the CMS value-based purchasing program?
a. Leapfrog
b. HEDIS
c. Hospital Compare
d. HCUP - CORRECT ANSWER c. Hospital Compare
Hospital Compare reports on 139 measures of hospital quality of care for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and the prevention of surgical infections. The data available at Hospital Compare is reported by hospitals to meet the requirements of the Medicare Value Based Purchasing program (White 2016a, 188).
In analyzing the reason for changes in a hospital's Medicare case-mix index over time, the analyst should start with which of the following levels of detail?
a. Account level
b. MS-DRG level
c. MDC level
d. MS-DRG triples, pairs, and singles - CORRECT ANSWER c. MDC level
The focused review indicated areas of risk related to lower weighted MS-DRGs from triple and pair combinations which may be the result of a coder missing secondary diagnoses. A focused audit based on this specific potential problem area could help to identify these cases. Optimization seeks the most accurate documentation, coded data, and resulting payment in the amount the provider is rightly and legally entitled to receive (Hunt 2016, 286).
You want to graph the number of deaths due to prostate cancer from 2010 through 2017. Which graphic tool would you use?
a. Frequency polygon
b. Histogram
c. Line graph or plot
d. Pie chart - CORRECT ANSWER c. Line graph or plot
A line graph or plot is used to display time trends. The x-axis shows the unit of time from left to right, and the y-axis measures the number of prostate cancer deaths (Marc 2016, 546).
Which numerical filing system results in an even distribution of records and ensures activity throughout the filing area?
a. Serial-unit filing system
b. Serial filing system
c. Unit filing system
d. Terminal-digit filing system - CORRECT ANSWER d. Terminal-digit filing system
In a terminal-digit filing system, records are filed according to a three-part number made up of two-digit pairs. The basic terminal-digit filing system contains 10,000 divisions, made up of 100 sections ranging from 00 to 99 with 100 divisions within each section ranging from 00 to 99. In a terminal-digit filing system, the shelving units (filing space) are equally divided into 100 sections (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 128-129).
Which of the following is the statistic that would be used to explore the relationship between length of stay and patient age?
a. Mean
b. Correlation
c. Predictive modeling
d. Variance - CORRECT ANSWER b. Correlation
Correlation is the statistic that is used to describe the association or relationship between two variables. In the healthcare setting, we may note that length of stay and charges are highly related or correlated (White 2016b, 526-527).
In assessing the quality of care given to patients with diabetes mellitus, the quality team collects data regarding blood sugar levels on admission and on discharge. This data is called a(n):
a. Indicator
b. Measurement
c. Assessment
d. Outcome - CORRECT ANSWER a. Indicator
An indicator is a performance measure that enables healthcare organizations to monitor a process to determine whether it is meeting process requirements. Monitoring blood sugars on admission and discharge is an indicator of the quality of care delivered to the diabetes patient during the stay (Shaw and Carter 2019, 143).
Which of the following statements is true of structured query language (SQL)?
a. It is both a data manipulation and data back-up mechanism.
b. It defines data elements and manipulates and controls data.
c. It is the computer language associated with document imaging.
d. Users are not able to query a relational database. - CORRECT ANSWER b. It defines data elements and manipulates and controls data.
Structured query language (SQL) includes both data dictionary language and data manipulation language components and is used to create and manipulate relational databases (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 29).
Which of the following basic services provided by a health information exchange (HIE) entity matches identifying information to an individual?
a. Consent management
b. Person identification
c. Record locator
d. Identity management - CORRECT ANSWER b. Person identification
Because there is no mandated unique patient identifier, ensuring that the HIE organization can identify the right patient as it seeks to exchange information is a process of identity matching (Amatayakul 2017, 419).
A database will be created solely for use in a research study that is being conducted. Which of the following is best suited for this scenario?
a. Relational database model
b. Data repository
c. Data mart
d. Data warehouse - CORRECT ANSWER c. Data mart
A data mart is a subset of the data warehouse designed for a single purpose or specialized use. The data mart performs the same type of analysis as a data warehouse; however, the scope of the data is narrower (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 38).
The relationship between patient gender and readmission to the hospital is best displayed using a:
a. Frequency chart
b. Contingency table
c. Bar chart
d. Pie chart - CORRECT ANSWER b. Contingency table
Contingency tables are a useful method for displaying the relationship between two categorical variables. Contingency tables are often referred to by the number of rows and columns (White 2016a, 64).
Working with the healthcare entity's integration team to ensure that ADT interfaces are properly built and tested is the responsibility of the:
a. MPI manager
b. EHR analyst
c. IT manager
d. Electronic forms manager - CORRECT ANSWER a. MPI manager
Monitoring and managing a master patient index (MPI) also requires constant vigilance from the organization, including oversight, evaluation, and correction of errors. The overall responsibility of maintaining the MPI should be centralized and given to an individual who is detail oriented, is properly trained, has access to adequate tools, and is well versed in the organization's policies and procedures for MPI maintenance. Working with the organization's integration team to ensure ADT interfaces are properly built and tested is a key responsibility of the MPI manager (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 130).
In order to effectively transmit healthcare data between a provider and a payer, both parties must adhere to which electronic data interchange standards?
a. DICOM
b. IEEE 1073
c. LOINC
d. X12N - CORRECT ANSWER d. X12N
X12N refers to standards adopted for electronic data interchange. In order for transmission of healthcare data between a provider and payer, both parties must adhere to these standards (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 211).
Dr. Jones comes into the HIM department and requests that the HIM director pull all of his records from the previous year in which the principal diagnosis of myocardial infarction was indicated. Where would the HIM director begin to pull these records?
a. Disease index
b. Master patient index
c. Operative index
d. Physician index - CORRECT ANSWER a. Disease index
A disease index is a listing in diagnosis code number order for patients discharged from the facility during a particular time period. Each patient's diagnoses are converted from a verbal description to a numerical code, usually using a coding system such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (Sharp and Madlock-Brown 2016, 172).
In which of the following does an analyst perform exploratory data analysis to determine trends and identify patterns in the data set?
a. Data quality
b. Data mining
c. Record analysis
d. Inferential statistics - CORRECT ANSWER b. Data mining
In data mining, the analyst performs exploratory data analysis to determine trends and identify patterns in the data set (White 2016b, 531).
A protocol to pass data from the system of one vendor to the information system of another vendor is called:
a. OLAP
b. Integration
c. TCP/IP
d. Interface - CORRECT ANSWER d. Interface
An interface is software that works between two or more systems to enable the two systems to share data (Amatayakul 2016, 402).
A report developed by a PI team on the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a neonatal intensive care unit was subsequently used by the perinatal morbidity and mortality committee in a monthly review of infant morbidity. Access to this report was possible because it was housed in the organization's:
a. Information warehouse
b. Comparative performance data
c. PI database
d. Computer hard drive - CORRECT ANSWER a. Information warehouse
Information warehouses allow organizations to store reports, presentations, profiles, and graphics interpreted and developed from stores of data for reuse in subsequent organizational activities (Shaw and Carter 2019, 350).
This statistical inference measures both the strength of a relationship between two variables and the functional relationship between them.
a. Correlation
b. T-test
c. Simple linear regression
d. Standard deviation - CORRECT ANSWER c. Simple linear regression
Simple linear regression (SLR) is another type of statistical inference that not only measures the strength of the relationship between two variables, but also estimates a functional relationship between them. SLR may be used when one of the two variables of interest is dependent on the other (White 2016b, 527-528).
COLD/ERM Technology - CORRECT ANSWER Computer output laser disk/enterprise report management (COLD/ERM) technology electronically stores, manages, and distributes documents that are generated in a digital format and whose output data are report-formatted and print-stream originated. COLD/ERM technology not only electronically stores the report-formatted documents but also distributes them with fax, e-mail, web, and traditional hard copy print processes (Sandefer 2016a, 350).
An analyst wishes to test the hypothesis that the wait time in the emergency department is longer on weekends than weekdays. What is the alternative hypothesis?
a. The average wait time is shorter on weekends.
b. The average wait time is longer on weekends.
c. The average wait time is different on weekends and weekdays.
d. The average wait time is the same on weekends and weekdays. - CORRECT ANSWER b. The average wait time is longer on weekends.
The alternative hypothesis is the compliment of the null hypothesis and typically requires some action to be taken. In this scenario, the analyst is comparing emergency department wait times between weekends and weekdays. The alternative hypothesis would be that the average wait time is longer on weekends (White 2016a, 65).
DICOM Standard - CORRECT ANSWER The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard supports retrieval of information from imaging devices and equipment to diagnostic and review workstations as well as short-term and long-term storage systems (Amatayakul 2017, 404-405).
This analytic technique is being used by CMS to assist in prepayment audits?
a. Descriptive statistics
b. Graphical analysis
c. Exploratory data analysis
d. Predictive modeling - CORRECT ANSWER d. Predictive modeling
Predictive modeling applies statistical techniques to determine the likelihood of certain events occurring together. Statistical methods are applied to historical data to learn the patterns in the data. These patterns are used to create models of what is most likely to occur (White 2016a, 7; White 2016b, 531).
HIPAA mandated that healthcare business partners and covered entities implement a common standard for data and information transfer. That standard is:
a. ICD-10-CM
b. HL7
c. ASC X12 N
d. CPT - CORRECT ANSWER c. ASC X12 N
HIPAA mandates that healthcare-covered entities and business partners implement a common standard (ASC X12N) for the transfer of information and accept the standard-based electronic transaction. This regulation does not apply to the transfer of data and information within a healthcare organization, but it does apply to the transfer of data and information external to and between healthcare organizations (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 211).
Which application uses statistical techniques to determine the likelihood of certain events occurring together?
a. Predictive modeling
b. Standard deviation
c. T-test
d. Serial numbering - CORRECT ANSWER a. Predictive modeling
Predictive modeling applies statistical techniques to determine the likelihood of certain events occurring together (White 2016a, 7-8).
In which record numbering system is the patient assigned a health record number on the first visit that is kept for all subsequent visits?
a. Unit numbering
b. Index unit numbering
c. Serial-unit numbering
d. Serial numbering - CORRECT ANSWER a. Unit numbering
Unit numbering storage is a health record identification system in which the patient receives a unique medical record number at the time of the first encounter that is used for all subsequent encounters (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 128).
Data mining is a process that involves which of the following?
a. Using reports to measure outcomes
b. Using sophisticated computer technology to sort through an entity's data to identify unusual patterns
c. Producing summary reports for management to run the daily activities of the healthcare entity
d. Producing detailed reports to track productivity - CORRECT ANSWER b. Using sophisticated computer technology to sort through an entity's data to identify unusual patterns
In data mining, the analyst performs exploratory data analysis to determine trends and identify patterns in the data set. Data mining is sometimes referred to as knowledge discovery (White 2016b, 531).
In order for health information exchange (HIE) participants to search for health records on each of the other systems using patient indexing and identification software, the systems must be linked by a(n):
a. Primary key interface (PKI)
b. Application programming interface (API)
c. Continuity of care record (CCR)
d. Record locator service (RLS) - CORRECT ANSWER d. Record locator service (RLS)
The HIE's record locator service (RLS) manages the pointers to the information on the servers of the HIE participants. The pointers in a RLS can include a person identification number (person ID) and metadata. The RLS does not provide information about the record, it merely points to where it might be found. Data are not stored in a centralized database and records are only provided when queried (McCann 2016, 454).
A healthcare entity remains committed to purchasing a vendor's product, which the entity finds solid in its financial and administrative applications but weaker in clinical applications. What is the term for this strategy?
a. Bridge
b. Best-of-fit
c. Best-of-breed
d. Legacy - CORRECT ANSWER b. Best-of-fit
The opposite of best-of-breed is best-of-fit. In this situation, virtually (though not absolutely) all applications are provided by a single vendor. This frequently makes it easier to add new applications from that vendor, but potentially even more difficult to add products from other vendors. Many organizations find their best-of-fit financial or administrative and operational system vendor is not as strong in EHR as they would desire. Alternatively, best-of-breed organizations find it difficult and costly to sustain this approach (Amatayakul 2017, 72-73).
The probability of making a Type I error based on a particular set of data is called the ________.
a. Sampling value
b. Hypothesis test
c. A-probability
d. P-value - CORRECT ANSWER d. P-value
The probability of making a Type I error based on a particular set of data is called the p-value (White 2016b, 514).
Protocols that support communication between applications are often referred to as:
a. Application program
b. Interface code
c. Messaging standards
d. Source code - CORRECT ANSWER c. Messaging standards
Within healthcare, standard protocols that support communication between nonintegrated applications are often referred to as messaging standards, also called interoperability standards or data exchange standards. Messaging standards provide the tools to map proprietary formats to one another and more easily accomplish the exchange of data (Amatayakul 2017, 400-401).
Which of the following is an effective method of evaluating responses to a request for proposal (RFP)?
a. Testing the new system
b. Negotiating contracts with all vendors and assessing the best price
c. Attending user group meetings
d. Visiting sites that use the systems of product competitors - CORRECT ANSWER c. Attending user group meetings
Formal and informal mechanisms should be used to evaluate each vendor and its products. For example, the project team may hold vendor presentations, check references, attend user group meetings, and make site visits to other facilities that use the product. The purpose of these activities is to gather as much relevant information as possible to make an informed decision (Amatayakul 2017, 202-204).
Which graph is the best choice to use when exploring the relationship between length of stay and charge for a set of patients?
a. Line graph
b. Bar chart
c. Pie chart
d. Scatter diagram - CORRECT ANSWER d. Scatter diagram
A scatter diagram is a data analysis tool used to plot points of two variables suspected of being related to each other in some way (Oachs 2016, 816-817).
All computers on this type of network receive the same message at the same time, but only one computer at a time can transfer information; and if one segment of the network goes down, the entire network is affected.
a. Star topology
b. Ring topology
c. Bus topology
d. Logical topology - CORRECT ANSWER c. Bus topology
Bus topology is the simplest network topology, connecting one device to another along a "backbone." A major disadvantage is that the central cable is a single point of failure. If this cable fails for any reason then the entire network goes down (Johns 2015, 57).
A researcher mined the Medicare Provider Analysis Review (MEDPAR) file. The analysis revealed trends in lengths of stay for rural hospitals. What type of investigation was the researcher conducting?
a. Content analysis
b. Effect size review
c. Psychometric assay
d. Secondary analysis - CORRECT ANSWER d. Secondary analysis
Secondary analysis is the analysis of the original work of others. In secondary analysis, researchers reanalyze original data by combining data sets to answer new questions or by using more sophisticated statistical techniques. The work of others created the MEDPAR file (Forrestal 2016, 586).
The user needs a list of all of the patients that were diagnosed a cerebral infarction or a cerebral hemorrhage. This is an example of a situation in which what type of search should be used?
a. Structured query language
b. Wildcard search
c. Truncation
d. Boolean search - CORRECT ANSWER d. Boolean search
Boolean search capabilities such as "and," "or," and "not" may be used in the QBE database to narrow down the data to specifically what the user needs. In this example the query could retrieve patients who had a diagnosis cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage and find all of them (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 29).
The process of preventing the spread of communicable diseases in compliance with applicable legal requirements is performed in this quality management function.
a. Infection control
b. Clinical quality assessment
c. Utilization management
d. Risk management - CORRECT ANSWER a. Infection control
The medical staff and the healthcare organization should work together to provide an environment that reduces the risk of infections in both patients and healthcare providers. The healthcare organization should support activities that look for, prevent, and control infections. An infection review is done with the involvement of the medical staff. Information is collected regularly on endemic and epidemic healthcare-associated infections. As appropriate, the healthcare organization must report significant information to both internal groups and public health agencies (Shaw and Carter 2019, 179).
Last year, 73,249 people died from diabetes mellitus in the United States. The total number of deaths from all causes was 2,443,387, and the total population was 288,356,713. Calculate the proportionate mortality ratio for diabetes mellitus.
a. 0.003
b. 10.94
c. 0.09
d. 3.0 - CORRECT ANSWER d. 3.0
The proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) is a measure of mortality due to a specific cause for a specific time period. In the formula for calculating the PMR, the numerator is the number of deaths due to a specific disease for a specific time period, and the denominator is the number of deaths from all causes for the same time period. The proportionate mortality ratio for diabetes mellitus = 73,249/2,443,387 = 0.03 × 100 = 3.0% (AHIMA 2017, 192; Edgerton 2016, 484-485).
During an influenza outbreak, a nursing home reports 25 new cases of influenza in a given month. These 25 cases represent 30 percent of the nursing home's population. This rate represents the:
a. Distribution
b. Frequency
c. Incidence
d. Prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER c. Incidence
The incidence rate is a computation that compares the number of new cases of a specific disease for a given time period to the population at risk for the disease during the same time period (Oachs and Watters 2016, 1009).
You want to graph the average length of stay by sex and service for the month of April. Which graphic tool would you use?
a. Bar graph
b. Histogram
c. Line graph
d. Pie chart - CORRECT ANSWER a. Bar graph
Bar charts are used to display data from one or more variables. The bars may be drawn vertically or horizontally. Bar charts are used for nominal or ordinal variables. In this case, you would be displaying the average length of stay by service and then within each service have a bar for each gender (Horton 2017, 257-258).
Online or real-time transaction processing (OLTP) is a functional requirement for a:
a. Data repository
b. Data mart
c. Data display
d. Data dictionary - CORRECT ANSWER a. Data repository
Data repositories in healthcare organizations require tools designed to perform intricate data searches and retrievals using online or real-time transaction processing (OLTP) (Amatayakul 2017, 306-307).
HIM departments may be the hub of identifying, mitigating, and correcting master patient index (MPI) errors. But that information often is not shared with other departments within the healthcare entity. After identifying procedural problems that contribute to the creation of the MPI errors, which department should the MPI manager work with to correct these procedural problems?
a. Administration
b. Registration or patient access
c. Risk management
d. Radiology and laboratory - CORRECT ANSWER b. Registration or patient access
A review of the identified duplicates and overlays often reveals procedural problems that contribute to the creation of errors. Although health information management (HIM) departments may be the hub of identifying, mitigating, and correcting master patient index (MPI) errors, that information may never be shared with the registration department. If the registration staff is not aware of the errors, how can they begin to proactively prevent the errors from occurring in the first place? Registration process improvement activities can eventually reduce work for HIM departments. In addition, monitoring new duplicates is a critical process, and tracking reports should be created and implemented. Identifying and reporting MPI errors is important; however, tracking who made the error and why will decrease the number of duplicates (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 130-131).
Tina is the EMPI coordinator for Smithtown Healthcare, a large medical center with many satellite clinics. Because so many patients visit the clinics, sometimes new health record numbers are mistakenly assigned to them (even though they may already have a number) when they register for a particular service. As the EMPI coordinator, Tina performs all of the following tasks as part of her regular job duties except:
a. Unmerging overlays
b. Merging duplicate records
c. Confirming the health record contains all patient visits
d. Verifying insurance status - CORRECT ANSWER d. Verifying insurance status
The challenge for facilities is to maintain a correct and current MPI so that each patient has a unique identifier number. Duplication and overlays and overlap are major problems. Healthcare facilities have hired HIM professionals as EMPI coordinators to clean and maintain EMPI systems to ensure that the correct information on the correct patient is available to the provider and others who need it. Verifying insurance status would not be part of the job duties of an EMPI coordinator (Reynolds and Sharp 2016, 130).
What term is used for a centralized database that captures, sorts, and processes patient data and then sends it back to the user?
a. Clinical data repository
b. Data exchange standard
c. Central processor
d. Digital system - CORRECT ANSWER a. Clinical data repository
A clinical data repository is a centralized database that captures, sorts, and processes patient data and then sends it back to the user (Amatayakul 2017, 24).
In carrying out the strategic plan for health IT, the step that describes what is needed to achieve the plan's goals is:
a. Environmental scan
b. Project plan
c. Requirements analysis
d. Risk analysis - CORRECT ANSWER c. Requirements analysis
Requirements analysis is the step that identifies, in detail, the precise requirements needed for both health information technology (that is, hardware and software) and operational components (people, policy, and process) of the health information system to meet the goals specified in the strategic plan (Amatayakul 2016, 400).
The term used to describe breaking data elements into the level of detail needed to retrieve the data is:
a. Normalization
b. Data definitions
c. Primary key
d. A database management system - CORRECT ANSWER a. Normalization
When developing the data elements that go into a database, the fields should be normalized. Normalization is breaking the data elements into the level of detail desired by the facility. For example, last name and first name should be in separate fields as should city, state, and zip code (Sayles and Kavanaugh-Burke 2018, 34). [Show Less]