WGU D514 ANALYTICAL METHODS OF HEALTHCARE LEADERS
EXAM | COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH 100% RATED EXPERT
SOLUTIONS |2026 LATEST UPDATED
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? -
(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? - (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? - (answer)Time-series
Which type of data analysis could be used in quantitative research? - (answer)Reporting the
distribution of results or outcomes
What is a characteristic of qualitative research methods? - (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? -
(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? - (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? - (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? - (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? - (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
MethodsA 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? -
(answer)Research design
, A hospital researcher is interested in the association between patient satisfaction and hospital
market share. The researcher hypothesizes that increased patient satisfaction will lead to an
increase in hospital market share.Research MethodsA 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 in the analysis. The data set will
include hospital characteristics and market characteristics. Administrative data will be obtained
from the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Area Health
Resources File, and the Hospital Compare website. The variables included in the data set will
control for other factors that may impact hospital patient satisfaction. Statistical significance will
be set at α = 0.05 for the analysis. The results of the analysis will be of i - (answer)Analysis plan
After reviewing a quality report from a large urban hospital, an administrator decided to
implement a new initiative to improve communication among healthcare professionals. The
hospital administrator conducted a survey on safety and error prevention that revealed that
ineffective or insufficient communication among team members is a significant contributing
factor to adverse events.Which source of data would have been used to highlight patient
perception of care? - (answer)HCAHPS scores
There have been recent complaints at a pharmacy regarding care, wait times, and errors. The
administrator wants to further examine customer satisfaction rates. After examining more
information the administrator decides to develop a new patient portal that will allow patients to
perform a refill request online. The system will also allow patients to request refills via text or
mobile devices.Which two sources of data were used in the change from the old system to the
new system?Choose 2 answers - (answer)Patient wait times
Patient satisfaction surveys
A hospital is experiencing a high rate of nursing turnover during the first year at the hospital.
There are many theories as to why turnover in this cohort is so high. The chief executive officer
(CEO) has asked the nursing director to study this further and develop some tactics to improve
nursing retention. The director plans to gather data, conduct some statistical analysis, and report
back to the CEO with an improvement plan.Which type of data would the director gather to
develop this plan? - (answer)Hospital tenure for nurses
EXAM | COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH 100% RATED EXPERT
SOLUTIONS |2026 LATEST UPDATED
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? -
(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? - (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? - (answer)Time-series
Which type of data analysis could be used in quantitative research? - (answer)Reporting the
distribution of results or outcomes
What is a characteristic of qualitative research methods? - (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? -
(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? - (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? - (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? - (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? - (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
MethodsA 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? -
(answer)Research design
, A hospital researcher is interested in the association between patient satisfaction and hospital
market share. The researcher hypothesizes that increased patient satisfaction will lead to an
increase in hospital market share.Research MethodsA 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 in the analysis. The data set will
include hospital characteristics and market characteristics. Administrative data will be obtained
from the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Area Health
Resources File, and the Hospital Compare website. The variables included in the data set will
control for other factors that may impact hospital patient satisfaction. Statistical significance will
be set at α = 0.05 for the analysis. The results of the analysis will be of i - (answer)Analysis plan
After reviewing a quality report from a large urban hospital, an administrator decided to
implement a new initiative to improve communication among healthcare professionals. The
hospital administrator conducted a survey on safety and error prevention that revealed that
ineffective or insufficient communication among team members is a significant contributing
factor to adverse events.Which source of data would have been used to highlight patient
perception of care? - (answer)HCAHPS scores
There have been recent complaints at a pharmacy regarding care, wait times, and errors. The
administrator wants to further examine customer satisfaction rates. After examining more
information the administrator decides to develop a new patient portal that will allow patients to
perform a refill request online. The system will also allow patients to request refills via text or
mobile devices.Which two sources of data were used in the change from the old system to the
new system?Choose 2 answers - (answer)Patient wait times
Patient satisfaction surveys
A hospital is experiencing a high rate of nursing turnover during the first year at the hospital.
There are many theories as to why turnover in this cohort is so high. The chief executive officer
(CEO) has asked the nursing director to study this further and develop some tactics to improve
nursing retention. The director plans to gather data, conduct some statistical analysis, and report
back to the CEO with an improvement plan.Which type of data would the director gather to
develop this plan? - (answer)Hospital tenure for nurses
