WGU C985 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
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? - Correct Answer
- 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? - Correct Answer - Cross Sectional
Which type of data analysis could be used in quantitative research? - Correct Answer -
Reporting the distribution of results or outcomes
What is a characteristic of qualitative research methods? - Correct Answer - Introduces
subjectivity to data collection
Many physician practices now utilize an electronic health record (EHR) system that
includes a secure messaging feature. Some of these practices have extended their
contact with patients by conducting virtual visits between people with diabetes and
nurses who are certified diabetes educators. The remote technology includes the ability
to monitor blood glucose data to determine if these values are within goal range. After
six months, the results of the blood glucose levels for the group participating in the
virtual visits were evaluated.
Which research method was used? - Correct Answer - 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? - Correct Answer - Time Series
A researcher wants to determine whether continuity of care is improved with the use of
coordination of care documents among primary care physicians and specialists. The
researcher decides to review various published studies to assess the clinical
effectiveness of these documents on patient outcomes.
Which research method is being used? - Correct Answer - Meta-analysis
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? - Correct Answer -
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? - Correct
Answer - 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? - Correct Answer - 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 Methods
A 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.
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? - Correct Answer
- 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? - Correct Answer - Cross Sectional
Which type of data analysis could be used in quantitative research? - Correct Answer -
Reporting the distribution of results or outcomes
What is a characteristic of qualitative research methods? - Correct Answer - Introduces
subjectivity to data collection
Many physician practices now utilize an electronic health record (EHR) system that
includes a secure messaging feature. Some of these practices have extended their
contact with patients by conducting virtual visits between people with diabetes and
nurses who are certified diabetes educators. The remote technology includes the ability
to monitor blood glucose data to determine if these values are within goal range. After
six months, the results of the blood glucose levels for the group participating in the
virtual visits were evaluated.
Which research method was used? - Correct Answer - 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? - Correct Answer - Time Series
A researcher wants to determine whether continuity of care is improved with the use of
coordination of care documents among primary care physicians and specialists. The
researcher decides to review various published studies to assess the clinical
effectiveness of these documents on patient outcomes.
Which research method is being used? - Correct Answer - Meta-analysis
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? - Correct Answer -
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? - Correct
Answer - 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? - Correct Answer - 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 Methods
A 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.
