WGU D514 Questions with verified
solutions passed
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
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. - correct answer ✔✔Time-Series
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 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
Suggested Study Review
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. 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. Which component is missing from these
research methods? - correct answer ✔✔Research design
A hospital researcher is interested in the association between patient satisfaction and market share. The
researcher hypothesizes that increased patient satisfaction will lead to an increase in hospital market
share. A longitudinal study of seven years will be conducted to assess the change in hospital market
share over time. Urban hospitals from the United States that have more than 100 beds will be included
solutions passed
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
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. - correct answer ✔✔Time-Series
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 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
Suggested Study Review
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. 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. Which component is missing from these
research methods? - correct answer ✔✔Research design
A hospital researcher is interested in the association between patient satisfaction and market share. The
researcher hypothesizes that increased patient satisfaction will lead to an increase in hospital market
share. A longitudinal study of seven years will be conducted to assess the change in hospital market
share over time. Urban hospitals from the United States that have more than 100 beds will be included
