CPHA CPHA Health Informatics & Data Analytics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of public health data system links records across multiple databases using unique identifiers to follow individuals over time?
- Cross-sectional Registry
- Longitudinal Linked Data System (Correct answer)
- Sentinel Surveillance System
- Ecological Database
Correct answer: Longitudinal Linked Data System
Longitudinal linked data systems connect records from disparate sources (e.g., birth records, Medicaid claims, hospital discharge data) using common identifiers to track health outcomes over time.
Question 2: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) collects health data primarily through which method?
- Electronic health records
- Telephone interviews (Correct answer)
- Direct clinical examinations
- School health reports
Correct answer: Telephone interviews
BRFSS is the world's largest telephone survey system, collecting state-level data on health risk behaviors and preventive health practices among US adults.
Question 3: Which concept in informatics describes ensuring that data values accurately represent real-world conditions and are free from errors?
- Data Completeness
- Data Timeliness
- Data Validity (Correct answer)
- Data Accessibility
Correct answer: Data Validity
Data validity refers to the degree to which data values accurately represent the true real-world state they are intended to measure.
Question 4: A health department uses geographic information systems (GIS) to map disease incidence rates by zip code. Which type of analysis is this?
- Syndromic Surveillance
- Spatial Epidemiology (Correct answer)
- Temporal Trend Analysis
- Sentinel Analysis
Correct answer: Spatial Epidemiology
Spatial epidemiology studies the geographic distribution of disease to identify spatial patterns, clusters, and environmental or social determinants of health.
Question 5: Which term describes a situation where a statistical association between two variables exists only because both are related to a third variable not included in the analysis?
- Effect Modification
- Selection Bias
- Confounding (Correct answer)
- Information Bias
Correct answer: Confounding
Confounding occurs when a third variable is associated with both the exposure and outcome, creating a spurious or distorted association between them.
Question 6: Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI) that must be de-identified before public release?
- Aggregated county-level disease rates
- Individual patient diagnosis with zip code and date of service (Correct answer)
- National mortality statistics from vital records
- Anonymous survey responses without any identifiers
Correct answer: Individual patient diagnosis with zip code and date of service
HIPAA defines PHI as individually identifiable health information; a patient's diagnosis combined with geographic identifiers (zip code) and dates of service constitutes PHI requiring de-identification.
CPHA CPHA Health Informatics & Data Analytics 2
Which type of public health data system links records across multiple databases using unique identifiers to follow individuals over time?