Information Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real AHIC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Information Systems flashcards as text
Which database model is most commonly used in modern EHR systems for storing structured clinical data?
Answer: Relational model
Relational databases using SQL are the dominant model in EHR systems due to their support for structured queries and ACID compliance.
In health information systems, what does the term 'interoperability' primarily refer to?
Answer: The ability of different systems to exchange and use information
Interoperability refers to the ability of different health IT systems to exchange, interpret, and use shared data effectively.
A hospital wants to ensure that clinical decision support alerts are delivered at the point of care. Which system architecture best supports this?
Answer: Real-time event-driven system
Real-time event-driven architectures trigger alerts immediately when clinical conditions are met, enabling timely intervention.
Which standard governs the messaging format for exchanging clinical documents between health information systems in the US?
Answer: HL7 v2/v3 and FHIR
HL7 (Health Level Seven) standards including v2, v3, and FHIR define messaging formats for clinical data exchange.
What is the primary purpose of a Master Patient Index (MPI) in a healthcare information system?
Answer: To uniquely identify and link patient records across systems
An MPI maintains a unique identifier for each patient to prevent duplicate records and link data across disparate systems.
Which layer of the OSI model handles end-to-end communication and reliability, commonly associated with TCP in healthcare networks?
Answer: Transport layer
The Transport layer (Layer 4) manages end-to-end data delivery and reliability, with TCP providing connection-oriented communication.
A health system is evaluating a new EHR. Which factor is MOST critical for long-term information system sustainability?
Answer: Scalability and standards compliance
Scalability and adherence to open standards ensure the system can grow with organizational needs and integrate with future technologies.