ANALYTICAL METHODS OF HEALTHCARE LEADERS D514
EXAM SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GRADED A+
✔✔Research platform - ✔✔Research is built on a platform of previous knowledge, the
scientific method.
✔✔Risk adjustment - ✔✔Risk adjustment is essential for comparing data across
systems, especially among patients with varying comorbid diseases and complex
treatment modalities. Multivariate regression analyses can be used to analyze and
adjust risk. This analysis model looks at each measured factor to the patient's risk of a
particular outcome.
✔✔Risk of error and harm - ✔✔Studies should include an analysis of any sources of
error as well as a thorough explanation of the consequences associated with a
particular study treatment.
✔✔Sample size - ✔✔The design of the study provides insight into an appropriate
number and volume of each variable. The calculation of statistical confidence factors
informs the validity testing of the study sample size.
✔✔Standard Deviation - ✔✔Standard deviation determines the amount of variance in a
set of data and evaluates the degree to which each case deviates from the average, or
mean.
✔✔Statistical significance - ✔✔The observation is statistically significant if the null
hypothesis is rejected. In a research study, the null hypothesis states there is no
association between the independent and dependent variables in a study.
✔✔t-test - ✔✔The t-test helps the researcher to compare whether two groups have
different average values. A paired t-test is used when each observation in one group is
paired with a related observation in another.
✔✔Variables - ✔✔The independent variable is the factor that is directly manipulated by
the researchers. The dependent variable is the measurable variable that depends on
the independent variable.
✔✔Master Population/Patient Index (MPI) - ✔✔Assigns specific medical record number
to avoid duplicate patient records. Includes patient's demographic information and dates
of encounters.
✔✔Disease Registries - ✔✔Secondary data gathered on patient diagnosis, condition,
and procedure. Used for public health purposes and documenting disease prevalence.
,✔✔Length of Stay/Average Length of Stay (ALOS) - ✔✔Average number of days a
patient spends in the hospital. Tracked to gauge the efficiency of a healthcare facility.
✔✔Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - ✔✔Responsible for developing
U.S. healthcare policy; administers the Medicare program and federal portion of
Medicaid program.
✔✔HRRP - ✔✔Affordable Care Act (ACA) added a section to Social Security Act in
2012, requiring CMS to reduce payments to hospitals with excessive readmissions.
Data gathered is response to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP),
which is a Medicare value-based purchasing program.
✔✔Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)
Scores - ✔✔An effective indicator that measures quality provided, communication from
providers, and other aspects of care delivery. It affects clinical outcomes, patient
retention, and medical malpractice claims.
✔✔Mortality after acute MIs (myocardial infarctions) - ✔✔Reflects the health status of
cardiac patients and effectiveness of services.
✔✔Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) - ✔✔Data tracked to
ensure best practices in treating patients receiving repeated IV medication or fluids.
Catheter can become infected over time if guidelines preventing bacterial contamination
are not followed.
✔✔Pain Management - ✔✔Tracking this data helps providers understand why certain
patients improve faster than others, and why some are more vulnerable to depression
due to chronic pain or addiction.
✔✔Hospital Quietness & Cleanliness - ✔✔Measured in patient satisfaction surveys as a
subjective indicator of hospital environment.
✔✔Post-Op Infections - ✔✔This data useful as a quality measurement to improve care
during and after surgery.
✔✔Pressure Ulcer Rates - ✔✔Data tracked on incidence, prevalence, and facility-
acquired rates to improve quality of care and develop best practices to address skin
breakdown.
✔✔Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rates (CAUTI) - ✔✔This hospital-
acquired infection is tracked and reported to Medicare. One of the first hospital-acquired
conditions selected for nonpayment by Medicare.
, ✔✔Staff Performance, Turnover, Absenteeism - ✔✔Organizations track this human
resource data to optimize employee skill sets and build a stronger organizational
culture.
✔✔Accounts Receivable and Cost Data - ✔✔Tracking this data ensures adequate
resources for long- and short-term goals and financial planning.
✔✔HRSA Data: Health Resources and Services Administration - ✔✔It is the primary
federal agency for improving healthcare to the geographically isolated, and
economically or medically vulnerable.
✔✔Health Payment Systems data - ✔✔Data pulled from coding/billing departments.
✔✔MEPS data from CMS: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) -
✔✔Administered by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Surveys
families, individuals, providers, employers in the U.S. Gathers data on cost, use of
healthcare services, and health insurance coverage.
✔✔NIH data: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - ✔✔U.S. Medical Research
Agency is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
✔✔The Joint Commission (TJC) data - ✔✔Through its accreditation process it requires
the gathering and reporting of specific data to demonstrate safety, quality care, and
performance improvement in healthcare organizations.
✔✔Surveillance records - ✔✔These records are kept and reviewed to maintain health
history on employees who may be exposed to hazardous materials, eliminate causes of
exposure and prevent medical issues from developing. Contribute to worksite health
and safety programs.
✔✔Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) - ✔✔Acute care and skilled
nursing facility claim data on Medicare patients.
✔✔National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) - ✔✔Database queried as part of physician
credentialing process when applying for medical staff privileges and every two years
afterward. It contains data on medical malpractice, adverse licensure actions,
suspensions, and professional review actions.
✔✔Public Health databases - ✔✔Holds data on incidence and prevalence of diseases;
survival statistics; high-risk populations; and tracks trends over time. Data is gathered
from medical records, surveys, and interviews. National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS) is responsible for these databases.
EXAM SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GRADED A+
✔✔Research platform - ✔✔Research is built on a platform of previous knowledge, the
scientific method.
✔✔Risk adjustment - ✔✔Risk adjustment is essential for comparing data across
systems, especially among patients with varying comorbid diseases and complex
treatment modalities. Multivariate regression analyses can be used to analyze and
adjust risk. This analysis model looks at each measured factor to the patient's risk of a
particular outcome.
✔✔Risk of error and harm - ✔✔Studies should include an analysis of any sources of
error as well as a thorough explanation of the consequences associated with a
particular study treatment.
✔✔Sample size - ✔✔The design of the study provides insight into an appropriate
number and volume of each variable. The calculation of statistical confidence factors
informs the validity testing of the study sample size.
✔✔Standard Deviation - ✔✔Standard deviation determines the amount of variance in a
set of data and evaluates the degree to which each case deviates from the average, or
mean.
✔✔Statistical significance - ✔✔The observation is statistically significant if the null
hypothesis is rejected. In a research study, the null hypothesis states there is no
association between the independent and dependent variables in a study.
✔✔t-test - ✔✔The t-test helps the researcher to compare whether two groups have
different average values. A paired t-test is used when each observation in one group is
paired with a related observation in another.
✔✔Variables - ✔✔The independent variable is the factor that is directly manipulated by
the researchers. The dependent variable is the measurable variable that depends on
the independent variable.
✔✔Master Population/Patient Index (MPI) - ✔✔Assigns specific medical record number
to avoid duplicate patient records. Includes patient's demographic information and dates
of encounters.
✔✔Disease Registries - ✔✔Secondary data gathered on patient diagnosis, condition,
and procedure. Used for public health purposes and documenting disease prevalence.
,✔✔Length of Stay/Average Length of Stay (ALOS) - ✔✔Average number of days a
patient spends in the hospital. Tracked to gauge the efficiency of a healthcare facility.
✔✔Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - ✔✔Responsible for developing
U.S. healthcare policy; administers the Medicare program and federal portion of
Medicaid program.
✔✔HRRP - ✔✔Affordable Care Act (ACA) added a section to Social Security Act in
2012, requiring CMS to reduce payments to hospitals with excessive readmissions.
Data gathered is response to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP),
which is a Medicare value-based purchasing program.
✔✔Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)
Scores - ✔✔An effective indicator that measures quality provided, communication from
providers, and other aspects of care delivery. It affects clinical outcomes, patient
retention, and medical malpractice claims.
✔✔Mortality after acute MIs (myocardial infarctions) - ✔✔Reflects the health status of
cardiac patients and effectiveness of services.
✔✔Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) - ✔✔Data tracked to
ensure best practices in treating patients receiving repeated IV medication or fluids.
Catheter can become infected over time if guidelines preventing bacterial contamination
are not followed.
✔✔Pain Management - ✔✔Tracking this data helps providers understand why certain
patients improve faster than others, and why some are more vulnerable to depression
due to chronic pain or addiction.
✔✔Hospital Quietness & Cleanliness - ✔✔Measured in patient satisfaction surveys as a
subjective indicator of hospital environment.
✔✔Post-Op Infections - ✔✔This data useful as a quality measurement to improve care
during and after surgery.
✔✔Pressure Ulcer Rates - ✔✔Data tracked on incidence, prevalence, and facility-
acquired rates to improve quality of care and develop best practices to address skin
breakdown.
✔✔Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rates (CAUTI) - ✔✔This hospital-
acquired infection is tracked and reported to Medicare. One of the first hospital-acquired
conditions selected for nonpayment by Medicare.
, ✔✔Staff Performance, Turnover, Absenteeism - ✔✔Organizations track this human
resource data to optimize employee skill sets and build a stronger organizational
culture.
✔✔Accounts Receivable and Cost Data - ✔✔Tracking this data ensures adequate
resources for long- and short-term goals and financial planning.
✔✔HRSA Data: Health Resources and Services Administration - ✔✔It is the primary
federal agency for improving healthcare to the geographically isolated, and
economically or medically vulnerable.
✔✔Health Payment Systems data - ✔✔Data pulled from coding/billing departments.
✔✔MEPS data from CMS: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) -
✔✔Administered by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Surveys
families, individuals, providers, employers in the U.S. Gathers data on cost, use of
healthcare services, and health insurance coverage.
✔✔NIH data: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - ✔✔U.S. Medical Research
Agency is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
✔✔The Joint Commission (TJC) data - ✔✔Through its accreditation process it requires
the gathering and reporting of specific data to demonstrate safety, quality care, and
performance improvement in healthcare organizations.
✔✔Surveillance records - ✔✔These records are kept and reviewed to maintain health
history on employees who may be exposed to hazardous materials, eliminate causes of
exposure and prevent medical issues from developing. Contribute to worksite health
and safety programs.
✔✔Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) - ✔✔Acute care and skilled
nursing facility claim data on Medicare patients.
✔✔National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) - ✔✔Database queried as part of physician
credentialing process when applying for medical staff privileges and every two years
afterward. It contains data on medical malpractice, adverse licensure actions,
suspensions, and professional review actions.
✔✔Public Health databases - ✔✔Holds data on incidence and prevalence of diseases;
survival statistics; high-risk populations; and tracks trends over time. Data is gathered
from medical records, surveys, and interviews. National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS) is responsible for these databases.
