WGU D547 Evidence-Based Healthcare
Administration Examination 2026–2027 |
Comprehensive 150 -Question Practice Test with
Answers & Rationales| Free Pdf Access
Section 1: Foundations of Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt)
Question 1
What is the primary definition of Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) in healthcare
administration?
A) The use of clinical pathways to guide patient care decisions.
B) The systematic application of the best available evidence, combined with practitioner
expertise and organizational stakeholders' values, to management decision-making.
C) The process of following administrative rules and regulations without exception.
D) The reliance on financial data to make all organizational decisions.
Correct Answer: B
Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) is defined as the systematic application of the best
available evidence, integrated with practitioner expertise and the values of organizational
stakeholders, to guide management decisions. This goes beyond just using data; it
incorporates the "Four Pillars" of evidence: best available scientific evidence,
organizational data, stakeholder values, and practitioner expertise .
Question 2
In the EBMgt framework, what are the "Four Pillars" of evidence?
A) Clinical guidelines, financial reports, patient surveys, and staff opinions.
B) Best available scientific evidence, organizational data, stakeholder values and
concerns, and practitioner expertise.
,C) Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case reports, and expert opinions.
D) Quality improvement data, patient satisfaction scores, cost-effectiveness analyses,
and regulatory requirements.
Correct Answer: B
The "Four Pillars" of evidence in the EBMgt framework are the best available scientific
evidence, organizational data (internal metrics), stakeholder values and concerns, and
practitioner (administrator) expertise. This comprehensive approach ensures that decisions
are not made in a vacuum but are informed by research, context, and the needs of those
involved .
Question 3
What is the first step in the "Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Aggregate, Apply, Assess" (6A)
framework?
A) Appraise the evidence for validity.
B) Acquire the best available evidence.
C) Ask an answerable question.
D) Apply evidence to the population.
Correct Answer: C
The 6A cycle is a process for integrating evidence into daily administrative decisions. It
begins with "Asking" an answerable question. Without a focused question, searching and
appraising evidence would be inefficient and unfocused .
Question 4
A nurse manager asks: "Among nurses working night shifts, does a 30-minute nap break
compared to no nap break reduce medication errors?" In a PICO(T) question, what is the
"Population" (P)?
A) 30-minute nap break.
B) Medication errors.
C) Nurses working night shifts.
D) No nap break.
Correct Answer: C
,In a PICO(T) question, the "P" stands for Population, which is the group of interest. In this
case, the group of interest is nurses working night shifts. The intervention is the 30-minute
nap break, the comparison is no nap break, and the outcome is medication errors .
Question 5
According to the GRADE system, what does "Grade A" evidence indicate?
A) High confidence that the true effect lies close to the estimated effect; further research
is very unlikely to change the confidence in the estimate.
B) Moderate confidence that the true effect is likely close to the estimated effect.
C) Low confidence that the true effect is likely close to the estimated effect.
D) Very low confidence in the effect estimate.
Correct Answer: A
In the GRADE system, "Grade A" evidence represents high confidence that the true effect
lies close to the estimated effect. This means that further research is very unlikely to
change the confidence in the estimate. It is the highest level of confidence in the evidence .
Question 6
What does the concept of "bounded rationality" suggest about managerial decision-
making?
A) Managers always make optimal decisions based on all available information.
B) Managers make decisions with limited information and cognitive limits.
C) Managers ignore evidence in favor of intuition.
D) Managers rely solely on quantitative data.
Correct Answer: B
"Bounded rationality," a concept introduced by Herbert Simon, acknowledges that
decision-makers have cognitive and information constraints. They do not always have
access to all the information they need and are limited in their ability to process it. The
goal of EBMgt is to help reduce these bounds and improve decision-making .
, Question 7
Which of the following is considered the highest level of evidence for a management
intervention?
A) A single randomized controlled trial (RCT).
B) A case-control study.
C) A systematic review or meta-analysis of RCTs.
D) An expert opinion.
Correct Answer: C
In the hierarchy of evidence, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized
controlled trials are considered the highest level of evidence. They synthesize and analyze
the results of multiple high-quality studies, providing the most reliable estimate of an
intervention's effect .
Question 8
What is a "pre-appraised" source of evidence?
A) A source where experts have already filtered and critically appraised primary studies
for validity.
B) A source that has not been reviewed by experts.
C) A source that only contains raw data from clinical trials.
D) A source that is based on social media expert opinions.
Correct Answer: A
Pre-appraised sources, such as AHRQ Evidence Reports or Cochrane Reviews, are resources
where experts have already filtered and critically appraised primary studies for validity.
This saves time by providing a summary of the best available evidence without requiring
the user to perform the entire appraisal process .
Section 2: Healthcare Systems & Policy Analysis
Question 9
A rural health clinic struggles to maintain financial viability because a large portion of its
patient population is uninsured. The state legislature is considering expanding Medicaid
Administration Examination 2026–2027 |
Comprehensive 150 -Question Practice Test with
Answers & Rationales| Free Pdf Access
Section 1: Foundations of Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt)
Question 1
What is the primary definition of Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) in healthcare
administration?
A) The use of clinical pathways to guide patient care decisions.
B) The systematic application of the best available evidence, combined with practitioner
expertise and organizational stakeholders' values, to management decision-making.
C) The process of following administrative rules and regulations without exception.
D) The reliance on financial data to make all organizational decisions.
Correct Answer: B
Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) is defined as the systematic application of the best
available evidence, integrated with practitioner expertise and the values of organizational
stakeholders, to guide management decisions. This goes beyond just using data; it
incorporates the "Four Pillars" of evidence: best available scientific evidence,
organizational data, stakeholder values, and practitioner expertise .
Question 2
In the EBMgt framework, what are the "Four Pillars" of evidence?
A) Clinical guidelines, financial reports, patient surveys, and staff opinions.
B) Best available scientific evidence, organizational data, stakeholder values and
concerns, and practitioner expertise.
,C) Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case reports, and expert opinions.
D) Quality improvement data, patient satisfaction scores, cost-effectiveness analyses,
and regulatory requirements.
Correct Answer: B
The "Four Pillars" of evidence in the EBMgt framework are the best available scientific
evidence, organizational data (internal metrics), stakeholder values and concerns, and
practitioner (administrator) expertise. This comprehensive approach ensures that decisions
are not made in a vacuum but are informed by research, context, and the needs of those
involved .
Question 3
What is the first step in the "Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Aggregate, Apply, Assess" (6A)
framework?
A) Appraise the evidence for validity.
B) Acquire the best available evidence.
C) Ask an answerable question.
D) Apply evidence to the population.
Correct Answer: C
The 6A cycle is a process for integrating evidence into daily administrative decisions. It
begins with "Asking" an answerable question. Without a focused question, searching and
appraising evidence would be inefficient and unfocused .
Question 4
A nurse manager asks: "Among nurses working night shifts, does a 30-minute nap break
compared to no nap break reduce medication errors?" In a PICO(T) question, what is the
"Population" (P)?
A) 30-minute nap break.
B) Medication errors.
C) Nurses working night shifts.
D) No nap break.
Correct Answer: C
,In a PICO(T) question, the "P" stands for Population, which is the group of interest. In this
case, the group of interest is nurses working night shifts. The intervention is the 30-minute
nap break, the comparison is no nap break, and the outcome is medication errors .
Question 5
According to the GRADE system, what does "Grade A" evidence indicate?
A) High confidence that the true effect lies close to the estimated effect; further research
is very unlikely to change the confidence in the estimate.
B) Moderate confidence that the true effect is likely close to the estimated effect.
C) Low confidence that the true effect is likely close to the estimated effect.
D) Very low confidence in the effect estimate.
Correct Answer: A
In the GRADE system, "Grade A" evidence represents high confidence that the true effect
lies close to the estimated effect. This means that further research is very unlikely to
change the confidence in the estimate. It is the highest level of confidence in the evidence .
Question 6
What does the concept of "bounded rationality" suggest about managerial decision-
making?
A) Managers always make optimal decisions based on all available information.
B) Managers make decisions with limited information and cognitive limits.
C) Managers ignore evidence in favor of intuition.
D) Managers rely solely on quantitative data.
Correct Answer: B
"Bounded rationality," a concept introduced by Herbert Simon, acknowledges that
decision-makers have cognitive and information constraints. They do not always have
access to all the information they need and are limited in their ability to process it. The
goal of EBMgt is to help reduce these bounds and improve decision-making .
, Question 7
Which of the following is considered the highest level of evidence for a management
intervention?
A) A single randomized controlled trial (RCT).
B) A case-control study.
C) A systematic review or meta-analysis of RCTs.
D) An expert opinion.
Correct Answer: C
In the hierarchy of evidence, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized
controlled trials are considered the highest level of evidence. They synthesize and analyze
the results of multiple high-quality studies, providing the most reliable estimate of an
intervention's effect .
Question 8
What is a "pre-appraised" source of evidence?
A) A source where experts have already filtered and critically appraised primary studies
for validity.
B) A source that has not been reviewed by experts.
C) A source that only contains raw data from clinical trials.
D) A source that is based on social media expert opinions.
Correct Answer: A
Pre-appraised sources, such as AHRQ Evidence Reports or Cochrane Reviews, are resources
where experts have already filtered and critically appraised primary studies for validity.
This saves time by providing a summary of the best available evidence without requiring
the user to perform the entire appraisal process .
Section 2: Healthcare Systems & Policy Analysis
Question 9
A rural health clinic struggles to maintain financial viability because a large portion of its
patient population is uninsured. The state legislature is considering expanding Medicaid
