CEHRS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CEHRS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A 'duplicate record' in the MPI occurs when: → The same patient is assigned two or more separate medical record numbers
2. What is the primary purpose of a workflow redesign during an EHR implementation? → To align clinical and administrative processes with new system capabilities
3. A patient seen in the emergency department for chest pain is later found to have had a myocardial infarction. The diagnosis should be coded based on: → The confirmed diagnosis at the time of discharge
4. Which consent model requires patients to actively agree before their information can be shared through an HIE? → Opt-in consent model
5. When a payer sends an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) with a CO-45 adjustment reason code, what does this indicate? → The charge exceeds the fee schedule/maximum allowable amount
6. Which network topology connects all devices to a single central hub or switch? → Star topology
7. What does 'query-based exchange' allow in a health information exchange network? → Providers to request and retrieve patient records from other organizations as needed
8. A hospital configures its EHR so that nurses can document vitals but cannot prescribe medications. This is an example of: → Role-based access control (RBAC)
9. Which approach best supports EHR adoption among resistant clinical staff? → Provide role-specific training, super-user support, and incorporate workflow feedback
10. Which federal regulation specifically governs the security of electronic protected health information (ePHI) in the United States? → HIPAA Security Rule
11. A claim is returned to the provider because the patient's insurance ID number was entered incorrectly. This is classified as a: → Rejection
12. During EHR vendor selection, which criterion ensures that the system can communicate with other healthcare applications used in the organization? → Interoperability
13. A patient reports they recently changed their legal name due to marriage. Which document should the EHR specialist request to update the record? → Legal documentation such as a marriage certificate or court order
14. Which of the following is an example of a quality assurance measure in the context of electronic health records? → All of the above
15. Which risk mitigation strategy involves maintaining the legacy system operational while the new EHR runs in parallel? → Parallel operation
16. What is the HIPAA required timeframe for notifying individuals of a breach affecting their PHI? → Within 60 days of discovering the breach
17. Which privacy principle requires that only the minimum necessary PHI be used or disclosed to accomplish the intended purpose? → Minimum necessary standard
18. A patient presents to the emergency department unconscious with no ID. What registration method is typically used? → A temporary 'John Doe' or unknown patient record is created with a system-generated MRN
19. What is the primary function of the Master Patient Index (MPI) in an EHR system? → To maintain a unique identifier and demographic data for every patient
20. Which interface engine function converts data from one format to another during health information exchange? → Data translation/transformation
21. What does the acronym “HL7” stand for in EHR systems? → Health Level 7
22. After EHR go-live, an optimization phase typically focuses on: → Fine-tuning workflows, templates, and system configurations based on user feedback
23. A physician reports that clinical decision support alerts are firing too frequently and being ignored. What is the best corrective action? → Review and optimize alert thresholds to reduce alert fatigue
24. A business associate agreement (BAA) must be established when a covered entity shares PHI with a vendor. Which vendor would NOT require a BAA? → A janitorial company that cleans exam rooms
25. A pediatric patient is being registered for the first time. Who should be designated as the guarantor on the account? → A parent or legal guardian
26. A covered entity discovers a workforce member has been snooping in celebrity patient records out of curiosity. Under HIPAA, this most likely constitutes: → A breach of unsecured PHI requiring formal assessment
27. A patient complains that their portal message to the provider was never answered. What should the EHR specialist verify first? → Whether the provider's portal inbox is configured and monitored correctly
28. Which standard defines the electronic format for submitting HIPAA-covered healthcare claims from providers to payers? → ASC X12 837
29. A clinic migrates from one EHR to another. What process ensures patient records are accurately moved to the new system? → Data migration and validation
30. What is the purpose of an automatic session timeout in an EHR system? → To log out inactive users and prevent unauthorized access to an unattended workstation