WGU D469 Performance Assessment Task
| Questions and Correct Answers with
Rationales 2026 Update
Original Questions, Correct Answers & Detailed
Rationales
2026 Study Edition
1. A healthcare organization is developing a policy for protecting
patient information. Which principle should be prioritized?
A. Making all information publicly accessible
B. Limiting access to authorized individuals with a legitimate need
C. Allowing employees to share passwords
D. Storing information indefinitely without safeguards
Answer: B
Rationale: Patient information should be accessible only to authorized
individuals who have a legitimate reason to use it. Access controls help
protect confidentiality and reduce unauthorized disclosure.
2. Which approach best supports ethical decision-making in healthcare?
A. Choosing the least expensive option automatically
B. Considering patient preferences, ethical principles, evidence, and
applicable requirements
C. Following coworker opinions regardless of circumstances
D. Selecting the option that benefits the organization financially
Answer: B
,Rationale: Ethical healthcare decisions should consider patient
interests, autonomy, applicable standards, evidence, and competing
ethical principles rather than relying on financial or personal
preferences alone.
3. A healthcare professional discovers an error in a patient's record.
What is the most appropriate response?
A. Delete the original information without documentation
B. Ignore the error
C. Correct the record according to organizational policy while
preserving appropriate documentation
D. Create an entirely new patient record
Answer: C
Rationale: Medical records are legal and clinical documents.
Corrections should follow established procedures so the record remains
accurate while maintaining an appropriate audit trail.
4. Which situation represents a conflict of interest?
A. A clinician reviews evidence before making a recommendation
B. An employee recommends a product because they receive an
undisclosed financial benefit from its sale
C. A patient asks questions about treatment
D. A healthcare organization updates its policies
Answer: B
Rationale: A conflict of interest occurs when personal or financial
interests could improperly influence professional judgment. Disclosure
and appropriate management are essential.
,5. Which factor is most important when evaluating the quality of a
research source?
A. Whether it agrees with the reader's opinion
B. Whether it has a colorful presentation
C. The credibility, methodology, evidence, and relevance of the source
D. The number of advertisements on the website
Answer: C
Rationale: Reliable evaluation considers the source's credibility,
methods, evidence, limitations, relevance, and potential bias.
6. What is the primary purpose of evidence-based practice?
A. Replace professional judgment
B. Integrate the best available evidence with professional expertise and
patient values
C. Eliminate patient preferences
D. Use only information published online
Answer: B
Rationale: Evidence-based practice combines research evidence with
clinical expertise and the patient's preferences, circumstances, and
values.
7. A researcher selects participants because they are easiest to reach.
Which sampling method is being used?
A. Convenience sampling
B. Stratified random sampling
, C. Systematic random sampling
D. Simple random sampling
Answer: A
Rationale: Convenience sampling selects participants based on
accessibility rather than random selection.
8. What is the main concern with convenience sampling?
A. It always requires a large sample
B. It can increase selection bias and limit generalizability
C. It guarantees equal representation
D. It eliminates confounding
Answer: B
Rationale: Because participants are selected based on accessibility, they
may not represent the broader population.
9. Which study design is generally strongest for evaluating the
effectiveness of an intervention?
A. Randomized controlled trial
B. Case report
C. Expert opinion alone
D. Anecdotal observation
Answer: A
Rationale: Randomized controlled trials can reduce confounding and
selection bias through random assignment and controlled comparison.
| Questions and Correct Answers with
Rationales 2026 Update
Original Questions, Correct Answers & Detailed
Rationales
2026 Study Edition
1. A healthcare organization is developing a policy for protecting
patient information. Which principle should be prioritized?
A. Making all information publicly accessible
B. Limiting access to authorized individuals with a legitimate need
C. Allowing employees to share passwords
D. Storing information indefinitely without safeguards
Answer: B
Rationale: Patient information should be accessible only to authorized
individuals who have a legitimate reason to use it. Access controls help
protect confidentiality and reduce unauthorized disclosure.
2. Which approach best supports ethical decision-making in healthcare?
A. Choosing the least expensive option automatically
B. Considering patient preferences, ethical principles, evidence, and
applicable requirements
C. Following coworker opinions regardless of circumstances
D. Selecting the option that benefits the organization financially
Answer: B
,Rationale: Ethical healthcare decisions should consider patient
interests, autonomy, applicable standards, evidence, and competing
ethical principles rather than relying on financial or personal
preferences alone.
3. A healthcare professional discovers an error in a patient's record.
What is the most appropriate response?
A. Delete the original information without documentation
B. Ignore the error
C. Correct the record according to organizational policy while
preserving appropriate documentation
D. Create an entirely new patient record
Answer: C
Rationale: Medical records are legal and clinical documents.
Corrections should follow established procedures so the record remains
accurate while maintaining an appropriate audit trail.
4. Which situation represents a conflict of interest?
A. A clinician reviews evidence before making a recommendation
B. An employee recommends a product because they receive an
undisclosed financial benefit from its sale
C. A patient asks questions about treatment
D. A healthcare organization updates its policies
Answer: B
Rationale: A conflict of interest occurs when personal or financial
interests could improperly influence professional judgment. Disclosure
and appropriate management are essential.
,5. Which factor is most important when evaluating the quality of a
research source?
A. Whether it agrees with the reader's opinion
B. Whether it has a colorful presentation
C. The credibility, methodology, evidence, and relevance of the source
D. The number of advertisements on the website
Answer: C
Rationale: Reliable evaluation considers the source's credibility,
methods, evidence, limitations, relevance, and potential bias.
6. What is the primary purpose of evidence-based practice?
A. Replace professional judgment
B. Integrate the best available evidence with professional expertise and
patient values
C. Eliminate patient preferences
D. Use only information published online
Answer: B
Rationale: Evidence-based practice combines research evidence with
clinical expertise and the patient's preferences, circumstances, and
values.
7. A researcher selects participants because they are easiest to reach.
Which sampling method is being used?
A. Convenience sampling
B. Stratified random sampling
, C. Systematic random sampling
D. Simple random sampling
Answer: A
Rationale: Convenience sampling selects participants based on
accessibility rather than random selection.
8. What is the main concern with convenience sampling?
A. It always requires a large sample
B. It can increase selection bias and limit generalizability
C. It guarantees equal representation
D. It eliminates confounding
Answer: B
Rationale: Because participants are selected based on accessibility, they
may not represent the broader population.
9. Which study design is generally strongest for evaluating the
effectiveness of an intervention?
A. Randomized controlled trial
B. Case report
C. Expert opinion alone
D. Anecdotal observation
Answer: A
Rationale: Randomized controlled trials can reduce confounding and
selection bias through random assignment and controlled comparison.
