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WGU C803 Task 1 |Latest Update with Complete Solution
Data Types and Structures
Ashley Ward
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
Rachel Galeski
3/23/2025
Data..Types..and..Structures
DATA..TYPE..CHARACTERISTICS
There..are..two..types..of..data..that..are..used..in..a..healthcare..setting:..primary..and..secondar
y...Primary..data..is..the..data..that..is..being..collected..straight..from..the..source,..whether..it..is..the..p
atient..or..physician...Records..being..collected..by..the..physician..while..giving..care..to..the..patient..i
s..an..example..of..primary..data..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..Secondary..data..is..information..collect
ed..and..processed..by..someone..else..or..pre-
existing..data...Secondary..data..can..help..track..disease..outbreaks..by..pulling..the..information..from
..primary..data.
Both..primary..and..secondary..data..play..an..essential..role..in..the..healthcare..setting...They..
are..both..resources..for..research..and..analysis,..and..both..can..be..used..to..help..make..medical..decis
ions...They..are..both..sources..of..data...While..primary..data..is..collected..firsthand,..it..can..be..more..
reliable..and..valid..information..being..collected...It..is..also..always..patient-
identifiable..information,..which..means..the..data..is..related..to..a..particular..patient..(Oachs..&..Watt
, 2
ers,..2020.)..Secondary..data..is..considered..aggregate..data,..data..on..patient..groups..compiled..into..
a..summary..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..This..makes..secondary..data..unreliable..and..valid..because.
.it..is..not..directly..from..the..source...The..organization..has..complete..control..over..how..data..is..coll
ected..with..primary..data,..unlike..secondary..data,..where..the..organization..does..not..have..control..o
ver..how..data..is..collected...Primary..data..is..more..time-
consuming..since..it..is..collected..from..a..one-on-
one..interaction...While..secondary..data..is..less..time-
consuming..since..the..data..being..used..has..already..been..compiled..from..a..previous..interaction.
DATA..TYPE..EXAMPLES
An..example..of..primary..data..used..in..healthcare..is..electronic..health..records..(EHR.)..EH
R..captures..clinical..data..from..multiple..sources..for..point-of-care..decision-
making..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..These..would..be..findings..from..a..physical..exam..during..a..one
-on-
one..interaction..between..the..physician..and..the..patient...Vital..signs..and..lab..results..would..also..b
e..collected..during..the..visit.
An..example..of..secondary..data..used..in..healthcare..is..cancer..registries...A..facility-
based..registry..comprises..demographic..data..from..each..cancer..case,..data..on..the..occupational..hi
story..of..each..individual,..data..on..diagnosis..and..the..source..of..data,..and..pathological..data..such..
as..cancer..site,..stage..and..incidence,..and..type..of..treatment..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2002.)..Physicians.
.can..use..this..information..to..monitor..cancer..trends..and..treatment..effectiveness...This..informatio
n..can..also..support..research..such..as..cancer..prevention,..treatment,..and..outcomes.
SOURCES..OF..DATA
A..primary..source..for..the..primary..data..of..Electronic..Health..Records..is..any..patient..inter
action..with..the..healthcare..organization...This..could..be..any..information..collected..from..registrat
WGU C803 Task 1 |Latest Update with Complete Solution
Data Types and Structures
Ashley Ward
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
Rachel Galeski
3/23/2025
Data..Types..and..Structures
DATA..TYPE..CHARACTERISTICS
There..are..two..types..of..data..that..are..used..in..a..healthcare..setting:..primary..and..secondar
y...Primary..data..is..the..data..that..is..being..collected..straight..from..the..source,..whether..it..is..the..p
atient..or..physician...Records..being..collected..by..the..physician..while..giving..care..to..the..patient..i
s..an..example..of..primary..data..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..Secondary..data..is..information..collect
ed..and..processed..by..someone..else..or..pre-
existing..data...Secondary..data..can..help..track..disease..outbreaks..by..pulling..the..information..from
..primary..data.
Both..primary..and..secondary..data..play..an..essential..role..in..the..healthcare..setting...They..
are..both..resources..for..research..and..analysis,..and..both..can..be..used..to..help..make..medical..decis
ions...They..are..both..sources..of..data...While..primary..data..is..collected..firsthand,..it..can..be..more..
reliable..and..valid..information..being..collected...It..is..also..always..patient-
identifiable..information,..which..means..the..data..is..related..to..a..particular..patient..(Oachs..&..Watt
, 2
ers,..2020.)..Secondary..data..is..considered..aggregate..data,..data..on..patient..groups..compiled..into..
a..summary..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..This..makes..secondary..data..unreliable..and..valid..because.
.it..is..not..directly..from..the..source...The..organization..has..complete..control..over..how..data..is..coll
ected..with..primary..data,..unlike..secondary..data,..where..the..organization..does..not..have..control..o
ver..how..data..is..collected...Primary..data..is..more..time-
consuming..since..it..is..collected..from..a..one-on-
one..interaction...While..secondary..data..is..less..time-
consuming..since..the..data..being..used..has..already..been..compiled..from..a..previous..interaction.
DATA..TYPE..EXAMPLES
An..example..of..primary..data..used..in..healthcare..is..electronic..health..records..(EHR.)..EH
R..captures..clinical..data..from..multiple..sources..for..point-of-care..decision-
making..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2020.)..These..would..be..findings..from..a..physical..exam..during..a..one
-on-
one..interaction..between..the..physician..and..the..patient...Vital..signs..and..lab..results..would..also..b
e..collected..during..the..visit.
An..example..of..secondary..data..used..in..healthcare..is..cancer..registries...A..facility-
based..registry..comprises..demographic..data..from..each..cancer..case,..data..on..the..occupational..hi
story..of..each..individual,..data..on..diagnosis..and..the..source..of..data,..and..pathological..data..such..
as..cancer..site,..stage..and..incidence,..and..type..of..treatment..(Oachs..&..Watters,..2002.)..Physicians.
.can..use..this..information..to..monitor..cancer..trends..and..treatment..effectiveness...This..informatio
n..can..also..support..research..such..as..cancer..prevention,..treatment,..and..outcomes.
SOURCES..OF..DATA
A..primary..source..for..the..primary..data..of..Electronic..Health..Records..is..any..patient..inter
action..with..the..healthcare..organization...This..could..be..any..information..collected..from..registrat
