AU HADM 339 Health Administration
– Final Exam Study Guide | Athabasca
University | 2026–2027
Description: This comprehensive revision set contains 200 multiple-choice questions
(MCQs) covering the core domains of health administration, including healthcare
systems, policy, finance, human resources, quality improvement, ethics, law,
information technology, epidemiology, leadership, and strategic planning. Each
question is designed to reflect the Athabasca University HADM 339 curriculum and
final exam style. Correct answers are marked with ✅ and are intentionally mixed (not
all A, B, C, or D) to simulate realistic exam conditions.
Keywords: health administration, healthcare management, Canadian healthcare,
Medicare, policy, finance, budgeting, human resources, quality improvement, patient
safety, ethics, law, health informatics, epidemiology, leadership, strategic planning, AU
HADM 339, final exam, revision, MCQs.
1. Which of the following best defines health administration?
A. Direct clinical care of patients
B. Management and leadership of healthcare organizations and systems ✅
C. Pharmaceutical research and development
D. Biomedical engineering
2. The Canada Health Act (1984) established which five principles?
A. Public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, accessibility ✅
B. Equity, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, safety
,C. Access, quality, affordability, innovation, sustainability
D. Prevention, promotion, protection, partnership, performance
3. Which level of government in Canada is primarily responsible for delivering
healthcare services?
A. Federal government
B. Provincial and territorial governments ✅
C. Municipal governments
D. Regional health authorities only
4. What is the primary source of funding for Canadian Medicare?
A. Private insurance premiums
B. Federal and provincial taxation ✅
C. Out-of-pocket payments
D. Employer-sponsored benefits
5. Which organization provides national leadership and coordination for public
health in Canada?
A. Canadian Institutes of Health Research
B. Public Health Agency of Canada ✅
C. Health Canada
D. Statistics Canada
6. What does the acronym "CHIR" stand for in Canadian health research?
A. Canadian Health Information Registry
B. Canadian Institutes of Health Research ✅
C. Centre for Health Innovation and Research
D. Canadian Hospital Insurance Review
7. Which of the following is a key challenge facing the Canadian healthcare
system?
A. Excessive privatization
B. Wait times for elective procedures ✅
,C. Lack of universal coverage
D. Overabundance of physicians
8. What is the role of a regional health authority?
A. Directly provide all hospital services
B. Plan, fund, and coordinate health services in a region ✅
C. Set national health policy
D. Regulate pharmaceutical companies
9. Which model of healthcare delivery emphasizes competition and market forces?
A. Beveridge model
B. Bismarck model
C. National Health Insurance model
D. Private insurance model ✅
10. In the Bismarck model, healthcare is funded primarily through:
A. General taxation
B. Employer and employee payroll contributions ✅
C. Private out-of-pocket payments
D. Government grants
11. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Beveridge model?
A. Healthcare is provided and financed by the government ✅
B. Healthcare is funded through private insurance
C. Employers are the primary funders
D. Patients pay directly for most services
12. What is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)?
A. A government-run hospital
B. A type of managed care organization that provides healthcare for a fixed premium ✅
C. A pharmaceutical benefit manager
D. A charity providing free care
, 13. Which of the following best describes "managed care"?
A. Unrestricted fee-for-service
B. A system that controls costs by coordinating care and limiting unnecessary services ✅
C. A system where patients pay all costs
D. A system focused solely on emergency care
14. What is the primary purpose of a health needs assessment?
A. To evaluate employee performance
B. To identify and prioritize health needs of a population ✅
C. To calculate hospital profits
D. To design medical equipment
15. Which of the following is an example of a health outcome indicator?
A. Number of hospital beds
B. Infant mortality rate ✅
C. Number of physicians per capita
D. Budget size
16. What does "epidemiology" study?
A. The structure of hospitals
B. The distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations ✅
C. The financial management of clinics
D. The design of medical devices
17. Which measure of disease frequency refers to new cases occurring in a
population over a specific period?
A. Prevalence
B. Incidence ✅
C. Mortality
D. Morbidity
18. What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?
A. Incidence measures existing cases; prevalence measures new cases
– Final Exam Study Guide | Athabasca
University | 2026–2027
Description: This comprehensive revision set contains 200 multiple-choice questions
(MCQs) covering the core domains of health administration, including healthcare
systems, policy, finance, human resources, quality improvement, ethics, law,
information technology, epidemiology, leadership, and strategic planning. Each
question is designed to reflect the Athabasca University HADM 339 curriculum and
final exam style. Correct answers are marked with ✅ and are intentionally mixed (not
all A, B, C, or D) to simulate realistic exam conditions.
Keywords: health administration, healthcare management, Canadian healthcare,
Medicare, policy, finance, budgeting, human resources, quality improvement, patient
safety, ethics, law, health informatics, epidemiology, leadership, strategic planning, AU
HADM 339, final exam, revision, MCQs.
1. Which of the following best defines health administration?
A. Direct clinical care of patients
B. Management and leadership of healthcare organizations and systems ✅
C. Pharmaceutical research and development
D. Biomedical engineering
2. The Canada Health Act (1984) established which five principles?
A. Public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, accessibility ✅
B. Equity, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, safety
,C. Access, quality, affordability, innovation, sustainability
D. Prevention, promotion, protection, partnership, performance
3. Which level of government in Canada is primarily responsible for delivering
healthcare services?
A. Federal government
B. Provincial and territorial governments ✅
C. Municipal governments
D. Regional health authorities only
4. What is the primary source of funding for Canadian Medicare?
A. Private insurance premiums
B. Federal and provincial taxation ✅
C. Out-of-pocket payments
D. Employer-sponsored benefits
5. Which organization provides national leadership and coordination for public
health in Canada?
A. Canadian Institutes of Health Research
B. Public Health Agency of Canada ✅
C. Health Canada
D. Statistics Canada
6. What does the acronym "CHIR" stand for in Canadian health research?
A. Canadian Health Information Registry
B. Canadian Institutes of Health Research ✅
C. Centre for Health Innovation and Research
D. Canadian Hospital Insurance Review
7. Which of the following is a key challenge facing the Canadian healthcare
system?
A. Excessive privatization
B. Wait times for elective procedures ✅
,C. Lack of universal coverage
D. Overabundance of physicians
8. What is the role of a regional health authority?
A. Directly provide all hospital services
B. Plan, fund, and coordinate health services in a region ✅
C. Set national health policy
D. Regulate pharmaceutical companies
9. Which model of healthcare delivery emphasizes competition and market forces?
A. Beveridge model
B. Bismarck model
C. National Health Insurance model
D. Private insurance model ✅
10. In the Bismarck model, healthcare is funded primarily through:
A. General taxation
B. Employer and employee payroll contributions ✅
C. Private out-of-pocket payments
D. Government grants
11. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Beveridge model?
A. Healthcare is provided and financed by the government ✅
B. Healthcare is funded through private insurance
C. Employers are the primary funders
D. Patients pay directly for most services
12. What is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)?
A. A government-run hospital
B. A type of managed care organization that provides healthcare for a fixed premium ✅
C. A pharmaceutical benefit manager
D. A charity providing free care
, 13. Which of the following best describes "managed care"?
A. Unrestricted fee-for-service
B. A system that controls costs by coordinating care and limiting unnecessary services ✅
C. A system where patients pay all costs
D. A system focused solely on emergency care
14. What is the primary purpose of a health needs assessment?
A. To evaluate employee performance
B. To identify and prioritize health needs of a population ✅
C. To calculate hospital profits
D. To design medical equipment
15. Which of the following is an example of a health outcome indicator?
A. Number of hospital beds
B. Infant mortality rate ✅
C. Number of physicians per capita
D. Budget size
16. What does "epidemiology" study?
A. The structure of hospitals
B. The distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations ✅
C. The financial management of clinics
D. The design of medical devices
17. Which measure of disease frequency refers to new cases occurring in a
population over a specific period?
A. Prevalence
B. Incidence ✅
C. Mortality
D. Morbidity
18. What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?
A. Incidence measures existing cases; prevalence measures new cases
