CCDS Data Analysis 4

Question 1

Which statistical measure is most appropriate for describing the central tendency of a skewed distribution of patient length-of-stay data?

Accepted Answer

Median

Answer

The median is preferred over the mean for skewed distributions because it is not distorted by extreme outliers.

Question 2

A hospital's case-mix index (CMI) dropped from 1.85 to 1.72 over one quarter. Which data analysis step should a CDS specialist perform first?

Accepted Answer

Stratify the CMI decline by service line to identify where the drop occurred

Answer

Stratifying by service line pinpoints which area drove the CMI decline before any corrective action is taken.

Question 3

In a clinical data quality audit, a CDS specialist finds that 15% of records lack a principal diagnosis. This metric is best classified as a measure of:

Accepted Answer

Data completeness

Answer

Completeness measures whether required data elements are present in the record.

Question 4

A CDS program wants to benchmark its query response rate against national standards. Which data source would provide the most relevant external comparison?

Accepted Answer

ACDIS CDI industry survey benchmarks

Answer

ACDIS publishes annual CDI industry surveys that provide national benchmarks for query response and agreement rates.

Question 5

When analyzing physician query agreement rates, a CDS specialist notes that one physician has a 95% agreement rate while the department average is 72%. This finding most likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

Queries to this physician may be leading or overly directive

Answer

An unusually high agreement rate may signal that queries are written in a leading manner, prompting compliance concerns.

CCDS - Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist Practice Test

CCDS - Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist Practice Test

CCDS Data Analysis 4