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WGU C811 Data Analytics and Information Governance
Task 1 | Passed on First Attempt |Latest Update with
Complete Solution
Data Types and Structures
Brittannie Flint
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
Name of Instructor: Bridgette Stasher-Booker
Date: January 13, 2026
Data Types and Structures
DATA TYPE CHARACTERISTICS
Primary data is information that is obtained directly from the main source. Secondary data are
created using a primary source (Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020). The characteristics of the
primary and secondary data used in healthcare settings differ. However, they are alike since they
help us understand different health trends and help with informed decision-making. Primary data
sources are original and collected for a specific purpose. The information obtained is reliable
because it is collected directly from the source, and it can often be time-consuming and costly to
collect. Secondary data is the opposite. Secondary data is less expensive and less time-
consuming; unlike primary data, information may not be reliable, but it is easy to access and
provides more extensive data to analyze.
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DATA TYPE EXAMPLES
The health record is considered a primary data source used in many ways to obtain information
(Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020). Another unique example of a primary data source would be
administrative data, which many different names can call. Administrative data is collected for
administrative or billing purposes. All could be used to study health care delivery, benefits,
harm, and cost (Cadarette, S. M., & Wong, L., 2015). Some things considered administrative
data include patient demographics, health insurance, medical claims, appointment information,
and discharge information.
As mentioned above, secondary data sources are collected and processed by someone other than
the source. This could be data abstracted from a patient’s medical record, an insurance database,
or public health reports. Some unique secondary data examples are indices, registries, and
reports. Registries require extensive data from the patient records. Registries must define the
cases to be included, and this process is called a case definition (Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020).
For instance, in a cancer registry, you would only want to review patients admitted or diagnosed
with a cancer code.
SOURCES OF DATA
As mentioned above, claims data is a relevant potential primary data source. Claims data comes
from doctors’ appointments, bills, insurance information, and other patient-provider
communications. This information is all housed within the patient's medical record. The
information comes directly from notes made in a healthcare provider's medical record or what is
recorded when the patient sees the provider (National Institutes of Health, n.d.).
As mentioned above, registries are a relevant potential source of secondary data. Cancer
registries receive and collect data about cancer. In a cancer registry, the register collects
WGU C811 Data Analytics and Information Governance
Task 1 | Passed on First Attempt |Latest Update with
Complete Solution
Data Types and Structures
Brittannie Flint
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
Name of Instructor: Bridgette Stasher-Booker
Date: January 13, 2026
Data Types and Structures
DATA TYPE CHARACTERISTICS
Primary data is information that is obtained directly from the main source. Secondary data are
created using a primary source (Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020). The characteristics of the
primary and secondary data used in healthcare settings differ. However, they are alike since they
help us understand different health trends and help with informed decision-making. Primary data
sources are original and collected for a specific purpose. The information obtained is reliable
because it is collected directly from the source, and it can often be time-consuming and costly to
collect. Secondary data is the opposite. Secondary data is less expensive and less time-
consuming; unlike primary data, information may not be reliable, but it is easy to access and
provides more extensive data to analyze.
, 2
DATA TYPE EXAMPLES
The health record is considered a primary data source used in many ways to obtain information
(Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020). Another unique example of a primary data source would be
administrative data, which many different names can call. Administrative data is collected for
administrative or billing purposes. All could be used to study health care delivery, benefits,
harm, and cost (Cadarette, S. M., & Wong, L., 2015). Some things considered administrative
data include patient demographics, health insurance, medical claims, appointment information,
and discharge information.
As mentioned above, secondary data sources are collected and processed by someone other than
the source. This could be data abstracted from a patient’s medical record, an insurance database,
or public health reports. Some unique secondary data examples are indices, registries, and
reports. Registries require extensive data from the patient records. Registries must define the
cases to be included, and this process is called a case definition (Oachs, P., & Watters, A., 2020).
For instance, in a cancer registry, you would only want to review patients admitted or diagnosed
with a cancer code.
SOURCES OF DATA
As mentioned above, claims data is a relevant potential primary data source. Claims data comes
from doctors’ appointments, bills, insurance information, and other patient-provider
communications. This information is all housed within the patient's medical record. The
information comes directly from notes made in a healthcare provider's medical record or what is
recorded when the patient sees the provider (National Institutes of Health, n.d.).
As mentioned above, registries are a relevant potential source of secondary data. Cancer
registries receive and collect data about cancer. In a cancer registry, the register collects
