HEIM 575 EXAM 1 with 100% correct answers + rationales 2026

Applied Research

Research that focuses on the implementation of theories in practice is called ____ research.

Ratio Variables

Variables that are classified to have numeric responses plotted on a scale on which a value of zero stands for nothing , is known as:

Qualitative data

If a survey question asks an open-ended question what type of data is collected?

Unsubstantial guess or hunch

All of the following are characteristics of a theory except _____. (Model that explains behavior, Set of conjectures that logically follow, Predictive expression based on previous observations, Unsubstantial guess or hunch)

Model (theories)

A theory's known properties are included in a _____

Ordinal Scale data

Survey responses collected using a 7 point Likert scale are an example of:

Inferential statistical technique

The type of statistical techniques used to make conclusions based on a sample are:

Secondary (use of data)

Determining the patient volume by service line based on ICD-9 code is a ______ use of the ICD-9 code.

ALL: Mean, Standard Deviation, Range

Which of the following are considered descriptive statistics? (Mean, Standard Deviation, Range, All of the above)

Inductive

On his first day of work, the new clerk in release of information processed three requests for information. He observed that all three requests were from law firms. He concluded that all requests for information come from law firms. What type of reasoning did the clerk use?

Data Dictionary

A roadmap to the contents of a database

Select data, Update data, Delete data

SQL may be used to:

FROM

What key word is missing from the following query?: Select patient_name where patient_city = Buffalo

Bar Chart

Which graph is the best choice to use when comparing lengths of stay across three hospitals?

Scatter Diagram

Which graph is the best choice to use when exploring the relationship between length of stay and charge for a set of patients?

The answer to the question or the solution to the problem has been there for a while

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a well-developed research questions? (The research's results advance knowledge in a definable way,

The answer to the question or the solution to the problem has been there for a while, The question has obvious and explicit links to a larger body of knowledge, such as a theory or a research model, The question is clearly and exactly stated)

none of the above

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic components of research process? (Selecting an instrument, gathering data, presenting results, analyzing the data, determining a research design and method, performing a literature review, defining the research problem, none of the above)

Good personal guess

Which of those is not one of the three rich sources of meaningful research questions? (Good personal guess, research model, recommendation of earlier researchers, gasps in the body of knowledge)

Pie Chart

Which graph will provide the best presentation of patient gender for a clinic?

the Average length of stay by month for the last year

A line chart is the best display of which: (The proportion of patients in each payer class, the ALOS by month for the last year, The # of procedures performed per physician, the ALOS by specialty)

Systematic

What characteristic of narrative reviews makes them undesirable?

88.6%

On December 1, Community Hospital had a bed capacity of 375. On December 15, twelve beds were closed. During the month of December, there were 12,888 inpatient service days, 13,444 days rendered to discharged patients, and 604 discharges and deaths. What is the inpatient bed occupancy rate for December?

Inpatient service day

Which of the following is a unit of measure equal to the services received by one inpatient during a 24-hour period?

380

At midnight December 1, the inpatient census at County Hospital was 375. On December 2, 17 patients were discharged alive, 4 patients died, 24 patients were admitted, and two patients were admitted and discharged the same day. How many inpatient service days were provided on December 2?

Primary

A researcher reported the results of a clinical trial in a journal. This type of source is known as _____.

7.8 days

In August, Community Hospital discharged 1,235 patients and admitted 1,360 patients. The hospital provided 9,782 days of service to inpatients and 9,576 days of service to discharged patients, what is the average length of stay at Community Hospital for the month of August?

Identify knowledge gaps regarding a subject

One of the functions of a literature review is to _____.

Average daily census = 24; Inpatient bed occupancy rate = 96.8%

For the month of August, Community Hospital provided 750 days of service to newborns. There are 25 bassinets in the newborn nursery. Calculate the average daily census for newborns and the inpatient bed occupancy rate for newborns for the month.

Deaths of inpatients only

What does the hospital gross death rate include?

Evaluation

Health technology assessment is an example of which of the following types of research? (Evaluation, prescriptive, Quasi-experimental, correlational)

convenience

The director of the health information department wanted to determine the level of physicians satisfaction with the departmental services. The director surveyed the physicians who came to the department. What type of sample is this?

5.26%

At Community Hospital, 247 operations were performed in January. Thirteen of these patients developed infections within ten days of surgery. During January, 435 patients were admitted and 442 patients were discharged. What is the postoperative infection rate for the month?

7.6 per 1,000

In a community of 44,000, there were 335 deaths in 20XX. What is the crude mortality rate?

Prescriptive

Which of the following is not a research design? (descriptive, Prescriptive, quasi-experimental, correlational)

Descriptive

The poll rating for the most watched TV Show is an example of which of the following? (descriptive, Prescriptive, quasi-experimental, correlational)

Experimental

In which research design we can establish causality? (correlational, descriptive, experimental, historical)

none or very weak

If the correlation between the Flu incidence rate and temperature equals 0.05, the correlation is considered:

Deaths of inpatients only

What does the hospital gross death rate include?

Crude death rate

Which of the following is a measure of the actual observed mortality in a community? (Crude death rate, sex-specific death rate, cause-specific death rate, age-adjusted death rate)

Data Driven

Healthcare is a ____ driven business

Data Analysis

Task of transforming, summarizing or modeling data to allow the end user to make meaningful conclusions

Primary data analysis is the use of data for its primary purpose

Example: Billing and claims data's primary use it to determine services rendered and payment to from a patient or third party payer

Secondary data analysis is the use of data beyond its primary purpose

Example: ICD-9 diagnosis codes are assigned to a patient to record diseases present or discovered during an encounter. Using a profile of the most common ICD-9 diagnosis categories for the purposes of determining the patient load by service line is a secondary use.

Descriptive Statistics

Characterizes the distribution of the data. Estimates the center or 'typical' value. Measures the spread or variation in the data

Inferential Statistics

Using sample data to make conclusions or decisions regarding a population

Not practical to observe the entire population

Often accompanied with a probability of making an incorrect decision based on the sample

Qualitative data

Describes observations about a subject

Typically free text or comments

May be recoded or placed into categories for analysis

Example:

A nurse describes a patient as having pale skin tone.

Survey question: What do you like most about this course?

Nominal (data scale)

Qualitative data scale; categories without a natural order: Diagnosis codes, Clinical units, Colors

Ordinal (data scale)

Qualitative data scale; categories with a natural order: Patient satisfaction surveys, Patient severity scores, Evaluation and management code levels

Quantitative data

Naturally numeric

May be categorical (ordinal or nominal)

Interval (data scale)

Quantitative data scale; numeric values where the distance between two values has meaning, but there is no true zero and the interpretation is not preserved when multiplying/dividing: Temperature, Dates

Ratio (data scale)

Quantitative data scale; numeric values where zero has meaning (nothingness/none) and multiplying/dividing values has meaning: Length of stay, Age, Weight

Gender, HCPCS codes, department or unit

Examples of Nominal data types

patient satisfaction scores, severity scores, trauma center level, surveys measured on a Likert scale

Examples of Ordinal data types

Temperature, pH level

Examples of Interval data type

charges, length of stay, or age

Examples of Ratio data type

Frequency counts, proportions, mode

appropriate Descriptive statistics for Nominal data type

Frequency counts, proportions, mode

appropriate Descriptive statistics for Ordinal data type

Mean, Median, std deviation, range

appropriate Descriptive statistics for Interval data type

Mean, Median, std deviation, range, geometric mean, coefficient of variation

appropriate Descriptive statistics for Ratio data type

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

Used to uncover patterns in data

Typically a secondary use of data

Primarily graphical analysis (plots, trends, etc.)

Data Mining

Also looking for patterns in data

Adds in descriptive statistics and more formal statistical techniques

May be used for benchmarking and determining high/lower performers

Predictive Modeling

Historical data is used to build models to determine most likely outcome in future

Research Frame

the overarching structure of the research project

Paradigm

another term for 'research frame'

The theory underpinning the study

The models illustrating the factors and relationships of the study

The assumptions of the field and the researcher

The methods

The analytical tools

Research frame includes: (5)

Theory

the systematic organization of knowledge that predicts or explain behavior or events. Both the results and foundation of research

Simplify

The best theories _____ the situation.

Concepts, Interrelationships, Consequences

Characteristics of a Theory

Concepts (theories)

abstract ideas generalized from a particular instance (theory characteristics)

Interrelationships (theories)

Are assumed to exist among concepts (theory characteristics)

Consequences (theories)

are assumed to follow logically from the relationships proposed in the theory (theory characteristics)

Model

representation of a theory in visual format; aid in comprehension of a theory

Research methodology

set of procedures or strategies used by researchers to collect, analyze, and present data

Basic and Applied

Types of research

Basic Research (bench science)

focuses on the development of theories and their refinement; mainly occurs in labs...answers "why?"

Applied Research (bedside)

focuses on the implementation of theories into practice; answers "what?" and "How?"

Translational research (bench-to-bedside)

translates new knowledge, mechanisms and techniques generated by advances in basic science research into new approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease

Quantitative/Positivism

Qualitative/Naturalism

overarching approaches to research

Quantitative/Positivism

the explanation of phenomena through scientific inquiry and empiricism; The data will have statistical or numerical results; Research that measurable observations or tests a hypothesis

Scientific inquiry

involves making predictions, collecting and analyzing evidence, testing alternative theories, and choosing the best theory

empiricism

based on observed and validated evidence. eg. Research based on experiments

Qualitative/Naturalism

interpret non-numerical observations such as words, gestures, activities, time, space, images, and perception; research that is exploratory or preliminary

Purpose

The ____ of the research determines the approach

Mixed Methods research

combines both quantitative and qualitative techniques within a single study and across related studies

Inductive reasoning/induction

involves drawing conclusions based on a limited number of observations (stereotyping); small to large

deductive reasoning/deduction

involves drawing conclusions based on generalizations; large to small

FALSE: Neither induction or deduction alone is complete satisfactory. Used together they are very effective and are the basis of research

True or False: Induction/deduction alone is satisfactory

Research

a step by step method that people can use to collect reliable and accurate facts

The simpler the better...easier to understand

How does the phrase "keep it simple" apply to theories?

representation of a theory in visual format

Advantage of models?

implementing the theories into practice

Why is research conducted by HIM professionals considered applied research?

The purpose of the research determines the approach

Why is it so important for researchers to know their purpose?

Database

self-describing collection of integrated records

self-describing (databases)

contains a description of its own structure

integrated (databases)

data elements are related to each other

Tables (databases)

two dimensional arrays of data

Rows (databases)

records (in a database)

columns (databases)

variables or attributes (in a database)

Relational Database Management System (RDMS)

Software that is used to hold and maintain data tables and their relationships

Structured Query Language (SQL)

Programming language used to communicate with a relational database; Tool used to maintain databases. (Select, update, insert, delete)