Health Information Management (HIM) Exam
— Exam Questions with Correct Answers
(VerifiedAnswers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A
Instant Download PDF
Question 1
Which of the following is the primary purpose of a health
information management (HIM) professional?
A. To prescribe treatments for patients
B. To diagnose diseases independently
C. To ensure health information is accurate, accessible, secure,
and properly managed
D. To perform surgical procedures
Rationale: HIM professionals are responsible for managing
health information throughout its lifecycle. Their work supports
the accuracy, integrity, accessibility, confidentiality, and security
of patient information. Although HIM professionals generally do
not diagnose or treat patients, their management of health
data directly supports clinical care, reimbursement, quality
improvement, legal compliance, research, and organizational
decision-making.
,Question 2
Which characteristic of health data means that information
accurately represents the patient or event being documented?
A. Accessibility
B. Timeliness
C. Accuracy
D. Availability
Rationale: Accuracy means that health information correctly
represents the underlying patient condition, encounter,
transaction, or event. Accurate information is essential because
errors can affect patient safety, coding, reimbursement, quality
reporting, research, and legal documentation. Accessibility and
availability concern whether information can be obtained when
needed, while timeliness concerns whether information is
current and available at the appropriate time.
Question 3
What is the primary purpose of an electronic health record
(EHR)?
A. To replace all healthcare professionals
B. To eliminate the need for documentation
C. To provide an electronic longitudinal record of a patient's
,health information
D. To function exclusively as a billing system
Rationale: An EHR is designed to maintain patient health
information electronically across encounters and, where
appropriate, across healthcare settings. It may contain
diagnoses, medications, allergies, laboratory results, clinical
notes, imaging information, and other relevant data. Although
EHRs support billing and administrative activities, their purpose
extends well beyond reimbursement.
Question 4
Which principle requires that patient information be available
only to individuals who have an authorized need to access it?
A. Data portability
B. Data normalization
C. Least privilege
D. Data duplication
Rationale: The principle of least privilege limits access to the
minimum information or system functions necessary for an
individual to perform assigned duties. Applying this principle
reduces unnecessary exposure of protected health information
and helps organizations control privacy and security risks.
, Access should be based on legitimate job responsibilities rather
than convenience or curiosity.
Question 5
Which of the following is an example of protected health
information (PHI)?
A. A hospital's publicly posted visiting hours
B. A physician's office telephone number
C. A patient's diagnosis associated with identifying
information
D. A hospital's public cafeteria menu
Rationale: PHI generally consists of individually identifiable
health information maintained or transmitted by a covered
entity or business associate in a form protected by applicable
privacy requirements. A patient's diagnosis becomes PHI when
it is connected with identifiers or otherwise can reasonably
identify the individual. Public information about an
organization's operations generally does not constitute PHI.
Question 6
Which coding classification is primarily used in the United
States to report diagnoses and conditions?
— Exam Questions with Correct Answers
(VerifiedAnswers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A
Instant Download PDF
Question 1
Which of the following is the primary purpose of a health
information management (HIM) professional?
A. To prescribe treatments for patients
B. To diagnose diseases independently
C. To ensure health information is accurate, accessible, secure,
and properly managed
D. To perform surgical procedures
Rationale: HIM professionals are responsible for managing
health information throughout its lifecycle. Their work supports
the accuracy, integrity, accessibility, confidentiality, and security
of patient information. Although HIM professionals generally do
not diagnose or treat patients, their management of health
data directly supports clinical care, reimbursement, quality
improvement, legal compliance, research, and organizational
decision-making.
,Question 2
Which characteristic of health data means that information
accurately represents the patient or event being documented?
A. Accessibility
B. Timeliness
C. Accuracy
D. Availability
Rationale: Accuracy means that health information correctly
represents the underlying patient condition, encounter,
transaction, or event. Accurate information is essential because
errors can affect patient safety, coding, reimbursement, quality
reporting, research, and legal documentation. Accessibility and
availability concern whether information can be obtained when
needed, while timeliness concerns whether information is
current and available at the appropriate time.
Question 3
What is the primary purpose of an electronic health record
(EHR)?
A. To replace all healthcare professionals
B. To eliminate the need for documentation
C. To provide an electronic longitudinal record of a patient's
,health information
D. To function exclusively as a billing system
Rationale: An EHR is designed to maintain patient health
information electronically across encounters and, where
appropriate, across healthcare settings. It may contain
diagnoses, medications, allergies, laboratory results, clinical
notes, imaging information, and other relevant data. Although
EHRs support billing and administrative activities, their purpose
extends well beyond reimbursement.
Question 4
Which principle requires that patient information be available
only to individuals who have an authorized need to access it?
A. Data portability
B. Data normalization
C. Least privilege
D. Data duplication
Rationale: The principle of least privilege limits access to the
minimum information or system functions necessary for an
individual to perform assigned duties. Applying this principle
reduces unnecessary exposure of protected health information
and helps organizations control privacy and security risks.
, Access should be based on legitimate job responsibilities rather
than convenience or curiosity.
Question 5
Which of the following is an example of protected health
information (PHI)?
A. A hospital's publicly posted visiting hours
B. A physician's office telephone number
C. A patient's diagnosis associated with identifying
information
D. A hospital's public cafeteria menu
Rationale: PHI generally consists of individually identifiable
health information maintained or transmitted by a covered
entity or business associate in a form protected by applicable
privacy requirements. A patient's diagnosis becomes PHI when
it is connected with identifiers or otherwise can reasonably
identify the individual. Public information about an
organization's operations generally does not constitute PHI.
Question 6
Which coding classification is primarily used in the United
States to report diagnoses and conditions?
