WGU D514 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The quality improvement team is reviewing quarterly incident reports and evaluating the
effect of Six Sigma strategies on the quantity of medication errors over the past two
years. The team hypothesizes a continuous reduction in medical errors for each
quarter.The sample consists of patient clinical and demographic characteristics.
Unfortunately, causation cannot be determined from the data available.Which research
method should be used to test the team's hypothesis?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Time-series
A hospital researcher has access to one year of hospital emergency department claims
data. The researcher is investigating the association of race on the timeliness of
delivery of care. The sample includes information on patient demographics, insurance
information, and emergency department factors. Due to patient confidentiality, the
sample does not include patient clinical information and outcomes.Which research
method should be used?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Cross Sectional
A policy analyst is interested in determining if the prospective payment system (PPS)
has improved hospital efficiency over time during the past ten years. The sample for
analysis consists of ten years of data after the introduction of the PPS and includes
measures of efficiency and other relevant control variables. The analyst hypothesizes
that hospital efficiency should have increased each year after the PPS was
implemented.Which research method should the analyst use?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Time-Series
The state public health researcher wants to begin a five-year initiative to coordinate
immunizations for children in the foster care system. The results will be compared to
previous years to measure the effectiveness of the initiative.Which research method
should be used to study this initiative?
Case study
Cohort study
Longitudinal study
Pre/post-study - Answers - Pre/post-study
Using publicly reported data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
researchers want to examine the relationship between 30-day readmissions and
, mortality rates for patients with heart failure at five facilities. Before this can be done,
researchers need to estimate mortality rates and readmission rates from heart
failure.Which statistical technique should be used to calculate the estimated rates?
t-test
Analysis of variance
Regression analysis
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient - Answers - Regression analysis
Researchers want to determine if a particular risk factor or risk factors are associated
with the frequency for nonelective readmission within 30 days among patients with
diabetes in a metropolitan area. The variables of interest include age, gender,
race/ethnicity, and insurance status.Which statistical technique should be used?
Mann-Whitney U test
Bayesian approach
Regression analysis
Wilcoxon signed-rank test - Answers - Regression analysis
A hospital researcher is interested in investigating the association between hospital
ownership (i.e., government, investor, and not-for-profit) on overall hospital quality
scores.Research MethodsA cross-sectional data set of all urban hospitals from eight
states is used in this study. The data were obtained from various administrative
databases: Medicare Hospital Cost Report Information System, the American Hospital
Association, and the Area Health Resource File. Descriptive statistics are used to
summarize the data. An ordinary least squares regression is used to test the
relationship between ownership status and hospital quality while controlling for hospital
and market characteristics.Which component is missing from these research methods?
Analysis plan
Data collection
Study population
Research design - Answers - Research design
Assoc. between pt satisfaction & hospital market share. Researcher hypothesizes that
increased pt satisfaction will lead to increase in hosp. market share. Longitudinal study
of 7 years will be conducted to assess the change in hospital market share over time.
Urban hospitals from the U.S. that have > 100 beds will be included. The data set will
include hosp. characteristics and market characteristics. Admin. data will be obtained
from the Am. Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Area Health
Resources File, and the Hosp. Compare website. The variables included in the data set
will control for other factors that may impact hospital pt satisfaction. Stat. significance
will be set at α = 0.05 for the analysis. The results of the analysis will be of interest to
hospital administrators and policy makers. Which component is missing? Analysis plan
Data collection Study population Research design - Answers - Analysis plan
After reviewing a quality report from a large urban hospital, an administrator decided to
implement a new initiative to improve communication among healthcare professionals.
The hospital administrator conducted a survey on safety and error prevention that
The quality improvement team is reviewing quarterly incident reports and evaluating the
effect of Six Sigma strategies on the quantity of medication errors over the past two
years. The team hypothesizes a continuous reduction in medical errors for each
quarter.The sample consists of patient clinical and demographic characteristics.
Unfortunately, causation cannot be determined from the data available.Which research
method should be used to test the team's hypothesis?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Time-series
A hospital researcher has access to one year of hospital emergency department claims
data. The researcher is investigating the association of race on the timeliness of
delivery of care. The sample includes information on patient demographics, insurance
information, and emergency department factors. Due to patient confidentiality, the
sample does not include patient clinical information and outcomes.Which research
method should be used?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Cross Sectional
A policy analyst is interested in determining if the prospective payment system (PPS)
has improved hospital efficiency over time during the past ten years. The sample for
analysis consists of ten years of data after the introduction of the PPS and includes
measures of efficiency and other relevant control variables. The analyst hypothesizes
that hospital efficiency should have increased each year after the PPS was
implemented.Which research method should the analyst use?
Time-Series
Cross-Sectional
Pretest-posttest
Randomized Control Trial - Answers - Time-Series
The state public health researcher wants to begin a five-year initiative to coordinate
immunizations for children in the foster care system. The results will be compared to
previous years to measure the effectiveness of the initiative.Which research method
should be used to study this initiative?
Case study
Cohort study
Longitudinal study
Pre/post-study - Answers - Pre/post-study
Using publicly reported data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
researchers want to examine the relationship between 30-day readmissions and
, mortality rates for patients with heart failure at five facilities. Before this can be done,
researchers need to estimate mortality rates and readmission rates from heart
failure.Which statistical technique should be used to calculate the estimated rates?
t-test
Analysis of variance
Regression analysis
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient - Answers - Regression analysis
Researchers want to determine if a particular risk factor or risk factors are associated
with the frequency for nonelective readmission within 30 days among patients with
diabetes in a metropolitan area. The variables of interest include age, gender,
race/ethnicity, and insurance status.Which statistical technique should be used?
Mann-Whitney U test
Bayesian approach
Regression analysis
Wilcoxon signed-rank test - Answers - Regression analysis
A hospital researcher is interested in investigating the association between hospital
ownership (i.e., government, investor, and not-for-profit) on overall hospital quality
scores.Research MethodsA cross-sectional data set of all urban hospitals from eight
states is used in this study. The data were obtained from various administrative
databases: Medicare Hospital Cost Report Information System, the American Hospital
Association, and the Area Health Resource File. Descriptive statistics are used to
summarize the data. An ordinary least squares regression is used to test the
relationship between ownership status and hospital quality while controlling for hospital
and market characteristics.Which component is missing from these research methods?
Analysis plan
Data collection
Study population
Research design - Answers - Research design
Assoc. between pt satisfaction & hospital market share. Researcher hypothesizes that
increased pt satisfaction will lead to increase in hosp. market share. Longitudinal study
of 7 years will be conducted to assess the change in hospital market share over time.
Urban hospitals from the U.S. that have > 100 beds will be included. The data set will
include hosp. characteristics and market characteristics. Admin. data will be obtained
from the Am. Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Area Health
Resources File, and the Hosp. Compare website. The variables included in the data set
will control for other factors that may impact hospital pt satisfaction. Stat. significance
will be set at α = 0.05 for the analysis. The results of the analysis will be of interest to
hospital administrators and policy makers. Which component is missing? Analysis plan
Data collection Study population Research design - Answers - Analysis plan
After reviewing a quality report from a large urban hospital, an administrator decided to
implement a new initiative to improve communication among healthcare professionals.
The hospital administrator conducted a survey on safety and error prevention that
