Free RHIA Practice Exam – 2025 Updated

A. WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is a network that uses radio waves to connect devices within a limited geographical area, not a tunneling technology over the Internet.

B. LAN (Local Area Network) is a wired or wireless network confined to a small area like a single building; it does not describe transport over the Internet.

D. FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) is an older standard for data transmission in a local area network using fiber optic cables, not a security protocol for a WAN.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, L. L. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (7th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 6, "Information and Communication Technology," the text explains that a VPN "uses the internet as a communication channel, but a 'tunnel' is created so that the data transmitted is encrypted and secure."

2. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Health Information Systems," defines a VPN as a network that "uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network."

3. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 8, Section 8.7, "Securing TCP Connections: SSL," describes how VPNs use IPsec to create an encrypted tunnel between two routers over the public Internet, effectively joining two private LANs into a single private WAN. This is a standard university textbook for computer science and IT curricula.

A schema is the logical structure of the entire database, not a customized view for an individual user. It represents the global view of all data.

A data dictionary is a repository of metadata (data about data); it defines data elements but does not create or manage user-specific views.

A GUI (Graphical User Interface) is the visual interface used to interact with the system, but the subschema is the underlying database construct that defines and enables the different data views presented through the GUI.

1. Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2017). Fundamentals of Database Systems (7th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 2, Section 2.2, "Data Models, Schemas, and Instances," the three-schema architecture is described. The external level is defined as having "a number of external schemas or user views... Each external schema describes the part of the database that a particular user group is interested in and hides the rest of the database from that user group." (p. 36). This directly corresponds to the concept of a subschema providing different views for different doctors.

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (2016). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 11, "Data Storage and Retrieval," discusses database management systems. It explains that a key function of a DBMS is to provide different views of the data to different users, stating, "The view of the data is the user’s perspective of the data... This allows the user to see the data in the format that he or she needs." (p. 289). This function is implemented through external schemas or subschemas.

3. Stanford University, CS 145 Introduction to Databases course materials. In the lecture notes on "Data Models," the three-level schema architecture (External, Conceptual, Internal) is a foundational topic. The External Schema is explicitly defined as the "view" for a particular group of users, which can be a subset of the conceptual schema or contain virtual data derived from it, matching the definition of a subschema.

B. executive information system: This is a decision support tool for senior management, providing high-level, aggregated data for strategic analysis, not for operational patient tracking.

C. clinical information system: This system (e.g., an EHR) focuses on patient care and clinical data documentation; it consumes demographic data from the ADT system but does not originate it.

D. financial information system: This system manages billing, accounting, and claims processing, relying on the patient and insurance data provided by the ADT system.

1. AHIMA. Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice. 6th ed. Chicago, IL: AHIMA Press; 2020: 288-289. Chapter 10, "Healthcare Information Systems," describes the Registration-Admission, Discharge, Transfer (R-ADT) system as the source for capturing demographic information, generating the MPI, and tracking patient status, which is used for the census.

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach. 6th ed. Chicago, IL: AHIMA Press; 2020: 121. Chapter 5, "Healthcare Information Systems," states, "The R-ADT system is used to input patient information... This information is used to create the patient record, the MPI, and the patient bill... The ADT portion of the system tracks the patient's movement from admission through discharge or transfer."

3. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. L. Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice. 5th ed. Chicago, IL: AHIMA Press; 2016: 258. Chapter 9, "Healthcare Information Systems," explains that the R-ADT system is a cornerstone application that provides other systems with patient demographics and is the source for the MPI and census list.

A. data flow diagram: This is a graphical representation that shows how data moves through a system's processes, not a descriptive list defining data elements.

B. decision tree: This is a flowchart-like model used for decision analysis and classification, not for documenting the metadata of data elements in a database.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (Eds.). (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Data and Information Governance," the text defines a data dictionary as a tool that "manages the data definitions and metadata for all data elements" and is essential for establishing data standards (pp. 298-299).

2. Sayles, N. B., & T. M. J. (Eds.). (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Health Information Systems," describes a data dictionary as a "descriptive list of the data elements to be collected in an information system or database whose purpose is to ensure consistency of terminology" (p. 121).

3. Johns Hopkins University. (n.d.). Data Dictionaries. Data Management Services, Sheridan Libraries. Retrieved from https://dms.data.jhu.edu/data-management-tools/data-dictionaries/. This university resource explains that a data dictionary contains definitions of variables and attributes, including variable names, descriptions, and data types, which directly corresponds to the example provided in the question.

A. WORM is a storage technology; information from paper sources must still be digitized, typically by scanning, before it can be stored.

B. The primary feature of WORM technology is that it prevents modification, which is the opposite of what this option states.

D. This describes access control, a security function of the software or operating system, not an inherent feature of the WORM storage medium.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. A. (2020). Health information management technology: An applied approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 6, "The Electronic Health Record," the section on Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS) discusses storage options, noting that WORM technology is used to ensure that documents cannot be altered after they are stored, thus preserving the integrity of the original document (pp. 168-169).

2. Sayles, N. B. (2020). Fundamentals of law for health informatics and information management (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "The Legal Health Record," discusses the importance of maintaining the integrity of health records for legal admissibility. WORM technology supports this by creating unalterable records, which is a key principle for establishing the trustworthiness of electronic evidence (p. 134).

3. AHIMA e-HIM Work Group. (2011). Electronic Document Management as a Component of the EHR. Journal of AHIMA, 82(3), 58-63. This practice brief explicitly states, "To ensure non-repudiation and that the document cannot be altered, the document should be stored on unalterable media, such as write-once, read-many (WORM) optical disk or stored in a trusted digital archive." (p. 61).

A. Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a standardized visual language for modeling software systems; it is not used for database definition or manipulation.

B. Metadata is descriptive data about other data. It is information, not a programming or query language used to interact with a database.

C. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a markup language used to structure content for display on the World Wide Web, not for managing databases.

1. AHIMA. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach, Sixth Edition. AHIMA Press. In Chapter 13, "Data Management and Analytics," the section on "Database Languages" explains that SQL is the standard language for relational databases and includes both Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML) components.

2. Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2016). Fundamentals of Database Systems, 7th Edition. Pearson. Chapter 4, "The Basic SQL Query," and Chapter 8, "SQL: Data Definition, Constraints, and Schema Change," explicitly detail the DML and DDL commands that are part of the overall SQL standard.

3. Stanford University. (n.d.). CS145: Introduction to Databases, Lecture Notes. Retrieved from Stanford's OpenCourseWare. The course materials on SQL clearly define it as the language for relational databases and categorize its commands into DDL (e.g., CREATE), DML (e.g., SELECT), and DCL (Data Control Language).

B. data flow: This term describes the path data takes through a system, but it does not encompass the automation of business processes or task management.

C. routing: Routing is a single action or component within a workflow system; workflow is the comprehensive technology that manages the entire process, including the rules for routing.

D. integration: Integration refers to the process of connecting disparate systems to work together, not the specific function of automating task sequences within a system.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Electronic Health Records," the section on Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS) describes workflow technology as a key component that "allows documents to be electronically routed to a variety of users at the same time" for processing.

2. Abdelhak, M., Grostick, S., & Hanken, M. A. (Eds.). (2016). Health Information: Management of a Strategic Resource (5th ed.). Elsevier. Chapter 11, "Document and Content Management," defines workflow management systems as those that "automate business processes by managing the flow of work" and "route work to the appropriate people in the proper sequence."

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). HIM 451: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design Courseware. The course curriculum discusses workflow as the sequence of tasks and the movement of information that constitutes a work process, and how information systems are designed to automate and manage this flow in healthcare settings.

A: The logical data model is technology-agnostic; it does not define the technology plan.

C: Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) model processes, not data structures. Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) are used for logical modeling.

D: This option incorrectly reverses the roles and misapplies DFDs, which are used for process modeling, not data modeling.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. F. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 13, "Data Storage and Warehousing," the text distinguishes the models: "The logical data model... defines the data elements and the relationships among them... The physical data model... goes a step further to identify how the data are stored in the computer."

2. Johns, M. L. (Ed.). (2015). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 23, "Information Systems," describes the systems development life cycle, where the logical design phase focuses on business needs ("what the system should do"), and the physical design phase specifies the technical implementation ("how the system will do it").

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). BHIS 505 - Health Information Systems Analysis and Design, Course Materials. The curriculum outlines that the logical model represents business data requirements, while the physical model details the database-specific implementation, including storage structures and access methods. This aligns with the logical "what" versus the physical "how."

A. RFI (Request for Information) is a procurement process to gather general information from vendors and is not a method for internal system development.

B. RFP (Request for Proposal) is a formal procurement document used to solicit proposals from external vendors, which is irrelevant for an internal project.

D. Functional requirements are detailed specifications of what a system must do; their creation is a necessary but often lengthy phase, not a method to accelerate the overall process.

1. LaTour, K. M., & Eichenwald-Maki, S. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 23, "Information Systems and Technology," the text discusses the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and describes prototyping as an iterative approach that accelerates development by providing a tangible model for users to evaluate early in the process.

2. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. A. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 15, "Systems Development Life Cycle," explains that prototyping is a model-building technique used to speed up the design phase and ensure the final product meets user needs through early and continuous feedback.

3. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 4, "System Selection and Implementation," contrasts traditional SDLC with alternative methods, noting that prototyping is a form of Rapid Application Development (RAD) designed to shorten the development timeframe.

A. improper scanning: Improper scanning affects the quality and legibility of the document image itself but does not prevent the system from searching based on correctly entered index data.

C. the data is stored on optical disk so it not readily available: Storing data on optical disks might increase retrieval time compared to magnetic storage, but it would not make it impossible to generate the list from the system's index.

D. the COLD technology has not downloaded the lab reports: COLD-fed reports (Computer Output to Laser Disk) are a specific data type. The absence of lab reports would not affect a query based on the admitting physician, which is typically indexed from admission forms.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. (2021). Health information management technology: An applied approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 6, "Electronic Health Records," the section on "Document Management Systems" states, "The indexing system is the key to retrieval. The document is scanned and then indexed, which is the entering of the metadata... If the indexing is not performed or is performed incorrectly, the document may be difficult or impossible to find." (p. 145).

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. (2020). Health information management: Concepts, principles, and practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 14, "Health Information Systems," explains that in a document management system, "Indexing is an organized method for identifying and retrieving a document... Without indexing, it would be impossible to retrieve the specific document needed." (p. 431).

3. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health information management technology: An applied approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Health Information Systems," emphasizes, "The indexing system is the most important part of the EDMS... Without proper indexing, the user may not be able to retrieve the document image." (p. 119).

A. intranet: An intranet is a private network exclusive to an organization's internal staff, not a general-purpose access point for all users.

B. internet: The internet is the vast, global network infrastructure that connects computers worldwide; it is not a specific type of website.

C. extranet: An extranet is a controlled, private network that allows external partners (e.g., suppliers, customers) to access specific parts of an organization's intranet.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. (Eds.). (2021). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Health Information Systems," a portal is described as a single point of personalized access for users to accomplish tasks and find information. The text distinguishes this from an intranet (internal) and an extranet (internal-external partnership).

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 11, "Information and Communication Technologies," defines a portal as a "special application to provide secure remote access to specific applications" and differentiates it from the broader network concepts of internet, intranet, and extranet (pp. 328-329).

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). Course BHIS 460: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design. Course materials define a web portal as a gateway that provides a single point of access to a variety of information and services, often in a personalized manner for the user. This is contrasted with the network architecture definitions of intranet and extranet.

A. conversion: This phase involves the actual migration of data from a legacy system to the new system, not testing functionality with simulated data.

C. analysis: This is an earlier phase focused on defining user needs, studying existing workflows, and establishing the requirements for the new system.

D. site preparation: This involves readying the physical environment, such as installing hardware, servers, and network infrastructure, not interacting with the software.

1. LaTour, K. M., Eichenwald-Maki, S., & Oachs, P. K. (Eds.). (2021). Health information management: Concepts, principles, and practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 24, "Information Systems and Technology," the "Testing" subsection within the "System Implementation" section details this process, stating that testing occurs in a controlled environment to ensure the system works as designed before the go-live date.

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (2020). Health information management technology: An applied approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Systems Development Life Cycle," describes the implementation phase, which includes rigorous testing. It specifies that system testing validates that all components work together, often using test scripts and a dedicated testing environment.

3. Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. (n.d.). Course 340.603.01: Introduction to Health Information Systems. Course materials on the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) define the testing phase as the stage for verifying and validating that the system meets specified requirements using test cases and data before deployment into a live environment.

B. clinical data repository: A clinical data repository (CDR) is a real-time database that consolidates data from various clinical sources to provide a unified view of a patient for care delivery.

C. specialized data warehouse: While a data mart is a type of specialized data store, "data mart" is the more precise and standard industry term for a subset created from a larger data warehouse.

D. executive information system: An executive information system (EIS) is a reporting and decision support tool used by senior management; it is not the database itself but rather consumes data from it.

1. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 13, "Data Warehouses and Data Mining," a data mart is defined as a "well-organized, user-centered, searchable database system that usually draws information from a data warehouse to meet the specific needs of users" (p. 363).

2. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 10 discusses that data marts are "subsets of data warehouses" that are "created to address the specific needs of a particular department or user group" (p. 248).

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). BHIS 461: Health Data Structures and Management. Courseware. The curriculum distinguishes between an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and data marts, specifying that data marts are created from the EDW to serve the analytical needs of individual departments, such as cardiology or finance.

A. initiation: This is the first phase, involving problem identification and feasibility analysis, which occurs long before a system is installed.

B. development: This phase involves the design and construction of the system, which was completed before the system was installed.

C. implementation: This is the "go-live" phase, which includes installation and user training. This process was completed three years ago.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. F. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 13, "Information Systems and Technology," the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is detailed. The final phase, "Maintenance and Evaluation," is described as the period after implementation where the system is operational, monitored, and updated, which aligns with the scenario.

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. (2016). Fundamentals of Health Information Management (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning. Chapter 11, "Information Systems," outlines the SDLC phases. The "Maintenance and Evaluation" phase is defined as the ongoing process of supporting the system after it has been implemented, which matches the question's description of a system in use for three years.

3. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 4, "Systems Development Life Cycle," describes the "Support and Evaluation" phase as the final, ongoing stage where the system is in production, maintained, and evaluated to ensure it continues to meet business goals.

B. data flow diagramming: This is a specific analysis tool used to graphically represent the flow of data through a system; it is not the development process itself.

C. diagramming entity relationships: This is a database modeling technique used to illustrate the relationships between different entities (e.g., patients, providers); it is a design tool, not a development methodology.

D. updating the data dictionary: This is the process of maintaining a repository of data element definitions (metadata), which is a task within system management, not the overall development process.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Kavanaugh-Burke, L. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 13, "Information Systems," the text describes prototyping as an iterative process: "Prototyping is a method of systems development in which the information system is developed through the building of a model... The users provide feedback, and the prototype is changed until the users are satisfied" (p. 351).

2. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 5, "System Selection and Implementation," discusses various SDLC models, explaining that prototyping involves creating a model for users to interact with and provide feedback on for iterative refinement (pp. 110-111).

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). HIM 486: Management of Health Information Systems. Courseware. The course materials on the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) differentiate between development methodologies like prototyping and specific analysis tools like data flow diagrams (DFDs) and entity-relationship diagrams (ERDs). Prototyping is defined by its iterative nature and heavy reliance on user feedback to build the system.

B. SQL: SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used to implement, manage, and query databases, not a tool for analyzing system requirements.

C. A Gantt chart: This is a project management tool used for planning and scheduling project timelines and resources, not for analyzing the functional requirements of a system.

D. A PERT chart: The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) chart is a project management tool used to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a project.

1. Abdelhak, M., Grostick, S., & Hanken, M. A. (Eds.). (2021). Health information: Management of a strategic resource (6th ed.). Elsevier. In Chapter 16, "Systems Development Life Cycle," the "Analysis" section describes tools for understanding system requirements, including data modeling. Project management tools like Gantt and PERT charts are discussed separately as part of project oversight.

2. Johns, M. L. (2019). Health information management technology: An applied approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 20, "Systems Development Life Cycle," identifies tools used in the analysis phase, such as data flow diagrams and data modeling, to document the requirements for the new system (pp. 565-567). It contrasts these with project management tools like Gantt and PERT charts (p. 563).

3. Valacich, J. S., & George, J. F. (2020). Modern systems analysis and design (9th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 5, "Structuring System Process Requirements," and Chapter 6, "Structuring System Data Requirements," detail the use of process and data models (like entity-relationship diagrams) as core techniques in the systems analysis phase.

A. A database administrator is a specialized technical role focused on designing, implementing, maintaining, and repairing an organization's databases.

B. A Web master is responsible for the creation and maintenance of a website, a role focused specifically on web technologies.

D. A network administrator is responsible for the maintenance and operation of an organization's computer network infrastructure.

1. Valacich, J. S., & George, J. F. (2020). Modern Systems Analysis and Design (9th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 1, "The Systems Analyst and Information Systems Development," the text describes the systems analyst as a key communicator who bridges the gap between business users and technical professionals, stating, "the analyst is a translator of business requirements for programmers and other technicians" (p. 11).

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 20, "Systems Development Life Cycle," details the role of the systems analyst in gathering user requirements during the analysis phase, highlighting their function as an intermediary between the users of the health information system and the technical team that develops it (pp. 580-582).

3. University of Washington, Information School. (n.d.). LIS 547: Systems Analysis & Design Course Description. Retrieved from ischool.uw.edu. The course description states, "The systems analyst is the key person who analyzes the business situation...acting as a liaison between users and technical staff." This explicitly defines the liaison role as central to the systems analyst's function.

A. EHR: An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a clinical system designed for patient care documentation and management, not for high-level, integrated strategic planning.

B. Results reporting: This is a function, not a system type. It typically refers to the delivery of specific clinical results (e.g., lab tests) within a departmental system or EHR.

C. Financial information system: This is one of the many source systems that would feed data into an EIS; it is not the overarching system used for integrated executive decision-making.

1. American Health Information Management Association. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 11, "Information Systems," an Executive Information System (EIS) is described as a type of decision support system that draws data from other systems to provide information to senior management for strategic decision-making (pp. 338-339).

2. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 4, "Administrative and Financial Information Systems," distinguishes operational systems from strategic systems like the EIS, noting that an EIS "compiles information from a variety of sources...to allow executives to review performance and identify trends" (p. 95).

3. Sayles, N. B., & Kavanaugh-Burke, L. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 4, "Healthcare Information Systems," defines an EIS as a system that facilitates and supports the information and decision-making needs of senior executives by providing easy access to both internal and external information relevant to meeting the strategic goals of the organization (p. 103).

A. system A: This system's total weighted score of 17 is higher than System B's score of 12, making it a less favorable option.

C. system C: This system has the highest weighted score of 25, indicating it is the least suitable choice based on the established priorities.

D. none of the above: This is incorrect because the weighted scoring method provides a clear, quantifiable basis for selecting System B as the best option.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. (Eds.). (2021). Health information management: Concepts, principles, and practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 21, "Systems Development Life Cycle," describes the system selection process, which includes using a weighted decision matrix to score and rank vendor proposals based on prioritized criteria (pp. 630-632).

2. Johns, M. L. (2020). Health information management technology: An applied approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Electronic Health Records," details the process of system selection, including the development of evaluation criteria and the use of scoring tools to compare systems quantitatively (pp. 138-140).

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). HIM 451: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design Course Syllabus. College of Applied Health Sciences. The curriculum covers the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), where the analysis and design phases involve creating evaluation criteria and using weighted scoring models to make objective system selection decisions.

A. response time: This is a classic operational requirement, as it specifies the performance standards for the system during routine, daily use.

B. data architecture: This is a fundamental technical requirement that dictates how the system stores, organizes, and manages data, directly impacting its ongoing operation.

D. data analysis tools: These are functional components of the system that will be used for ongoing operational activities, making them a valid operational requirement.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. H. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 4, "The System Development Life Cycle," the text distinguishes between different sections of an RFP. Data conversion is consistently categorized under the implementation plan, which is separate from the functional and operational requirements of the system itself (pp. 90-92).

2. Giannulli, T. (2016). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 25, "Information Systems and Technology," describes the components of system selection and the RFP process. It outlines that implementation details, including data conversion strategy, are typically addressed separately from the system's core operational and functional specifications (p. 827).

A. a laptop utilizing wireless technology.

A laptop, while portable, is generally larger and heavier than a PDA, making it less convenient for quick, on-the-go use during clinical rounds.

B. a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a security technology used to create a secure network connection; it is not a physical hardware device for data entry.

C. voice recognition.

Voice recognition is a software application or feature that enables dictation. It is a tool used on a device, not the device itself.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. T. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 5, "Health Information Systems," the text discusses various types of computer hardware. It describes PDAs and smartphones as handheld wireless devices used by physicians at the point of care due to their small size and portability, contrasting them with larger devices like laptops (p. 118).

2. Abdelhak, M., Grostick, S., & Hanken, M. A. (Eds.). (2015). Health Information: Management of a Strategic Resource (5th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. Chapter 11, "Health Information Systems," discusses the role of mobile and wireless technology in healthcare, noting that devices like PDAs and smartphones allow clinicians to "enter and retrieve data at the point of care" (p. 268).

3. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 3, "Health Care Information System Hardware and Software," categorizes PDAs and smartphones as mobile computing devices ideal for clinicians needing portable access to information, distinguishing them from software (like voice recognition) and networking technologies (like VPNs) (pp. 65-67).

A. An executive information system provides high-level, aggregated data for strategic decision-making by leadership, not for updating individual patient administrative records.

B. A clinical decision support system is designed to assist clinicians with patient care decisions by providing alerts and evidence-based guidance, not for managing financial data.

D. A laboratory information system is a specialized departmental system used to manage laboratory orders, specimens, and results; it is not the primary system for patient registration or insurance updates.

1. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. J. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Healthcare Information Systems," the section on "Administrative Information Systems" describes the Patient Registration (ADT) system as the application where demographic and financial information (including insurance) is collected and updated (pp. 318-319).

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. L. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Healthcare Information Systems," identifies the Registration-Admission-Discharge-Transfer (R-ADT) system as the source for collecting patient demographic and insurance data upon registration (p. 118).

3. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (n.d.). Introduction to Health Information Systems. [Courseware]. The course materials differentiate between administrative systems like ADT, which manage patient registration and billing information, and clinical systems like CDSS or LIS, which manage patient care and diagnostic data.

B. database design: This is the entire process of creating a database, of which developing the data model is a crucial, but distinct, phase.

C. database manager: This refers to the Database Management System (DBMS), which is the software application used to create, access, and manage the database, not the plan itself.

D. data dictionary: This is a repository of metadata that defines individual data elements (fields), but it does not describe the overall structure, relationships, and operations as a data model does.

1. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Data Management," a data model is defined as a plan that represents data and their relationships, which is developed before the database is built (pp. 238-239). The data dictionary is described as a component that defines data elements (p. 237).

2. Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2017). Fundamentals of Database Systems (7th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 1, Section 1.3, "Characteristics of the Database Approach," explains that a data model is a collection of concepts for describing the structure of a database, including data types, relationships, and constraints.

3. Stanford University. (n.d.). CS145: Introduction to Databases - Lecture Notes: The Relational Model. Stanford InfoLab. The course materials define a data model as the "notation for describing data or information," which consists of the structure of the data, operations on the data, and constraints on the data. (See section on "What is a Data Model?").

B. A radiology system (RIS) is used to manage medical imaging workflows and data, such as X-rays and MRIs, not blood test results.

C. A pharmacy system is designed to manage medication-related information, including prescriptions, dispensing, and inventory control.

D. While an order entry/results reporting system is used to order the test and view the final report, the primary entry of the detailed laboratory values occurs within the specialized laboratory system.

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1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (7th ed.). AHIMA Press.

Reference: Chapter 11, "Healthcare Information Systems," Section "Ancillary, Clinical, and Administrative Systems." The text explicitly states, "The laboratory information system (LIS) supports the operations of a laboratory... Functions of the LIS include... reporting of the results of tests" (p. 328). This confirms the LIS is the system for entering and managing lab results.

2. Abdelhak, M., Grostick, S., & Hanken, M. A. (Eds.). (2016). Health information: Management of a strategic resource (5th ed.). Elsevier Saunders.

Reference: Chapter 12, "Clinical Information Systems," Section "Laboratory Information Systems." This section details that the LIS is used to "collect and manage laboratory tests," which includes the entry and verification of results like a CBC (p. 318).

3. University of Illinois Chicago. (n.d.). HIM 451: Health Information Systems Analysis and Design Courseware.

Reference: Module on "Ancillary and Clinical Departmental Systems." The course materials describe the LIS as the primary system for managing all data related to laboratory testing, from specimen collection and processing to the final entry and reporting of results. It is clearly distinguished from RIS and pharmacy systems.

B. The previous IS plan is a useful reference for historical context but should not be the basis, as it may not reflect current business strategies or technological advancements.

C. Consultant recommendations provide valuable external input, but they must be evaluated against and aligned with the organization's own business plan, not serve as the foundation.

D. Previous budgets are a record of past financial allocations and constraints; the new strategic plan should drive future budgets, not be dictated by past ones.

1. American Health Information Management Association. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 4, "Strategic Planning and Organizational Development," explains that functional-level plans, including those for information systems, are derived from the organization's overall strategic plan to ensure alignment and support for enterprise-wide goals.

2. Abdelhak, M., Hanken, M. A., & Watz, F. (2016). Health Information: Management of a Strategic Resource (5th ed.). Elsevier. In Chapter 3, "Strategic Management and HIM," the section on "Information Systems Strategic Planning" explicitly states that the process begins with a review of the organization's strategic business plan to ensure IS initiatives are linked to the mission and objectives.

3. University of Washington. (n.d.). HCDE 536 - Interaction Design & Prototyping. Course materials on Strategic IT Planning. The courseware emphasizes that the first step in creating an IT/IS strategic plan is to understand and align with the organization's business strategy, making the business plan the essential starting point.

A. EHR: An EDMS lacks the core functionalities of a true EHR, such as structured data entry, clinical decision support, and order entry management.

C. knowledge-based system: This is a type of artificial intelligence that uses a knowledge base to solve complex problems, which is not the function of an EDMS.

D. clinical decision support system: A CDSS provides active, real-time alerts and recommendations to clinicians, a feature not present in a standard EDMS.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. L. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 5, "The Electronic Health Record," the text describes document imaging and EDMS as a "bridge technology" for organizations transitioning from paper to electronic records (p. 119).

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 11, "Electronic Health Records," discusses the continuum of EHR adoption, where document imaging systems (EDMS) are presented as an early, foundational step before the implementation of a more complete EHR (pp. 330-331).

A. hospital information systems: This is a broad functional category for systems used in a hospital setting; it does not inherently describe them as being old or difficult to integrate.

B. practice management system: This describes a specific type of system for administrative and financial tasks in an ambulatory setting, not a general term for outdated systems.

D. continuity of care record: This is a patient health summary standard (like a document), not an information system itself.

1. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. In Chapter 5, "System Acquisition," the text discusses the process of replacing existing systems, referring to them as legacy systems that often pose significant integration and data conversion challenges (pp. 105-106).

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. L. (Eds.). (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 13, "Information Systems," defines a legacy system as an "old system" and notes that organizations must decide whether to replace it or interface it with new systems, highlighting the integration difficulties (p. 389).

3. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 4, "Electronic Health Records," discusses the transition from older, disparate systems, identifying them as legacy systems that complicate the move to integrated EHRs due to data silos and lack of interoperability (p. 112).

A. While IR bandwidth is generally lower than modern alternatives, the fundamental reason for its infeasibility in this scenario is the physical limitation of line-of-sight, not bandwidth.

B. The effective range of most IR data communication systems is significantly less than 200 feet, often under 30 feet. However, the core issue remains the line-of-sight requirement, not a specific distance.

C. This statement is factually incorrect. Infrared is a well-established type of wireless communication technology, commonly used in devices like remote controls and for short-range data transfer.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. F. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 10, "Data and Communication," the text discusses wireless connections, stating, "Infrared is a type of wireless connection that uses infrared light to transmit data... The disadvantage of infrared is that the devices must be in a close proximity and have a clear line of sight" (p. 289).

2. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 7, "Wireless and Mobile Networks," the principles of different wireless media are discussed. The text explains that infrared light, used in some wireless systems, is unable to pass through opaque objects, reinforcing the line-of-sight limitation (Section 7.1).

3. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 9, "Health Care Information Systems," describes various network technologies. When discussing wireless technologies, it notes that infrared requires a clear path between communicating devices, making it unsuitable for applications where obstructions are present.

A. A data dictionary is a repository of metadata; it defines data elements, their meanings, and formats, but does not visually model relationships between entities.

B. A data flow diagram (DFD) illustrates how data moves through a system's processes, not the static, structural relationships between data entities.

C. A flowchart is a diagram that represents the sequence of operations or steps in a process or workflow, focusing on logic rather than data relationships.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. A. (Eds.). (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 19, "Database Management Systems," it is stated, "The entity-relationship diagram (ERD) is a common type of data modeling that focuses on the relationships between entities" (p. 538).

2. Hoffer, J. A., Ramesh, V., & Topi, H. (2019). Modern Database Management (13th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 3, "Conceptual Data Modeling," explains that an "entity-relationship (E-R) diagram is a detailed, logical representation of the entities, associations, and data elements for an organization or business area" (p. 74).

3. Valacich, J. S., & George, J. F. (2020). Modern Systems Analysis and Design (9th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 7, "Structuring System Requirements: Conceptual Data Modeling," is dedicated to the creation and use of ERDs, defining them as the primary tool for representing the data requirements of a system (pp. 200-201).

B. database: A database is a structured system for storing and retrieving data, such as lab results, but it is not the rule that acts upon that data.

C. clinical guideline: A clinical guideline is a broad, evidence-based recommendation for patient care. The rule is the specific, automated implementation of a part of that guideline.

D. reminder: While the call serves as an alert, "reminder" is a less precise term. "Data-driven rule" accurately describes the underlying mechanism that initiates the alert based on specific data.

1. Berner, E. S. (Ed.). (2016). Clinical Decision Support Systems: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). Springer. In Chapter 3, "The Building Blocks of a Clinical Decision Support System," the concept of the knowledge base is detailed, explaining that it contains rules in an "IF-THEN" format. The example provided is a classic instance of such a rule being triggered by data (a lab value). (See specifically Section 3.3, "The Knowledge Base").

2. Shortliffe, E. H., & Cimino, J. J. (Eds.). (2014). Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (4th ed.). Springer. Chapter 17, "Clinical Decision Support Systems," describes rule-based systems where specific patient data (e.g., lab results) are matched against rules in a knowledge base to generate alerts or recommendations. This process is defined as being data-driven. (See specifically pp. 582-585).

3. American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). (2016). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. The text discusses clinical decision support functions within the EHR, highlighting automated alerts for critical test results as a key patient safety feature. This functionality is based on pre-programmed rules that evaluate incoming data. (See Chapter 11, "Electronic Health Records").

A. Joint Commission: This is a healthcare accreditation body that sets standards for patient safety and quality of care, not a technical standard for application communication.

B. IOM CPR definition: The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Computer-based Patient Record (CPR) definition is a conceptual model outlining the functions of an EHR, not a communication protocol.

D. ASC X12: This is a standard for electronic data interchange (EDI) used for business and financial transactions, such as insurance claims, not for clinical application communication.

1. Johns, M. L. (2021). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 10, "Health Information Exchange and Standards," Section "Standards-Developing Organizations," describes HL7 as the "organization most people think of for health information standards" for clinical and administrative data.

2. Sayles, N. B., & Kavanaugh-Burke, L. (2021). Introduction to Health Information Technology (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Standards for Health Information," details how HL7 standards are used to "move clinical and administrative information between the information systems of different healthcare providers."

3. Health Level Seven International. (n.d.). About HL7. HL7.org. Retrieved from https://www.hl7.org/about/index.cfm. The organization's official site states its mission is to provide standards that "empower global health data interoperability."

4. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). (n.d.). What are some examples of health IT standards? HealthIT.gov. This official government resource identifies HL7 for messaging standards and ASC X12 for claims/financial transactions, distinguishing their separate purposes.

A. The design phase precedes implementation and involves creating the technical blueprint and specifications for the system, not installing or training.

C. The maintenance phase occurs after the system is fully operational ("go-live") and involves ongoing support, updates, and error correction.

D. The analysis phase is the initial stage focused on gathering user requirements and defining the goals and scope of the new system.

1. American Health Information Management Association. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 11, "Information Systems and Technology," the section on the Systems Development Life Cycle describes the implementation phase as the stage where the system is built, tested, and users are trained (pp. 328-329).

2. Sayles, N. B., & Gordon, L. A. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 4, "Systems Development Life Cycle," explicitly lists system testing, user training, and system installation as key activities within the implementation phase (pp. 88-90).

3. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (n.d.). Health Sciences Informatics: Systems Design and Development. Courseware. The curriculum on systems development consistently places system building, testing, and training within the implementation phase, which follows the analysis and design phases and precedes the maintenance phase.

A. systems analysis: This is a specific, early phase of the life cycle focused on defining problems, identifying causes, and specifying requirements for a new system.

C. project management: This refers to the discipline of planning, executing, and controlling the resources to complete the project, not the developmental stages of the system itself.

D. data model: This is a specific artifact created during the design phase to represent the logical structure and relationships of the data within the system.

1. Johns, M. L. (2015). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (4th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 21, "Systems Development Life Cycle," the SDLC is defined as the comprehensive process for creating or modifying information systems, detailing the phases as (1) planning and analysis, (2) design, (3) implementation, and (4) maintenance and evaluation (p. 586).

2. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass. Chapter 6, "System Acquisition and Implementation," describes the system development life cycle as the traditional, structured methodology that "consists of a series of steps or phases that are completed in a sequence" from identification to implementation and support (p. 121).

3. Valacich, J., & George, J. (2020). Modern Systems Analysis and Design (9th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 1, "The Systems Development Environment," defines the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) as the "traditional methodology used to develop, maintain, and replace information systems" and outlines its core phases, including planning, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance (pp. 6-7).

A. Health information exchange is a framework for electronically sharing patient information among different healthcare entities, not a strategic analysis method.

B. Alerts are operational features within an information system, such as clinical decision support warnings, not a process for strategic environmental assessment.

D. Critical path analysis is a project management technique used to schedule and manage the timing of tasks within a project, not for strategic planning.

1. Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. In Chapter 2, "Strategic Planning for Health Care Information Systems," environmental scanning is described as the "process of collecting and analyzing information about the external world... to identify emerging opportunities and threats" (p. 30).

2. American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). (2020). Health information management: Concepts, principles, and practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 29, "Strategic Planning and Organizational Development," identifies environmental analysis as a key step in the strategic planning process, involving the assessment of external factors like the regulatory environment and market conditions (pp. 938-939).

3. Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). The strategic management of health care organizations (8th ed.). Wiley. Chapter 4, "External Environmental Analysis," is dedicated to this topic, defining it as the process of scanning the external environment to identify strategic opportunities and threats that will shape the organization's future (p. 87).

B. HL-7: This is a set of international standards for the exchange of clinical and administrative data between software applications, not a hardware storage technology.

C. DASD: This stands for Direct Access Storage Device, a broad category for storage devices like hard drives, but it is not the specific technology for mirroring.

D. CPOE: This stands for Computerized Provider Order Entry, a clinical application for entering medical orders, and is unrelated to data storage hardware.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, L. L. (2020). Health Information Management Technology: An Applied Approach (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 4, "Health Information Systems," the section on "Storage" describes RAID technology, specifically identifying RAID 1 as disk mirroring for fault tolerance (p. 93).

2. Oachs, P. K., & Watters, A. (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 5, "Information Technology and Systems," discusses data storage solutions, including RAID as a key method for data protection and redundancy in healthcare settings (p. 145).

3. Johns, M. L. (Ed.). (2015). Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier. Chapter 10, "Health Information Technology Infrastructure," explains that RAID is a common method for ensuring data availability and protection against disk failure in healthcare systems (p. 188).