Data Analytics & Population Health Flashcards

Which concept describes combining data from multiple EHR systems into a single unified patient record for longitudinal analysis?

Answer: Patient matching and record linkage

Record linkage algorithms match and merge patient records across disparate systems using identifiers and probabilistic matching to create a unified longitudinal view.

A sensitivity analysis in a population health study is performed to:

Answer: Test how results change when key assumptions are varied

Sensitivity analysis evaluates the robustness of study conclusions by varying key assumptions or inputs to see how much outcomes change.

In population health, 'attribution' refers to the process of:

Answer: Assigning patients to a specific provider or care team for accountability

Attribution assigns responsibility for a patient's outcomes to a specific physician or practice, enabling accurate performance measurement.

Which type of analysis examines the relationship between two continuous clinical variables, such as BMI and HbA1c?

Answer: Correlation analysis

Correlation analysis (e.g., Pearson or Spearman) quantifies the strength and direction of the relationship between two continuous variables.

What is the role of a Master Patient Index (MPI) in a health system's data analytics environment?

Answer: Provide a unique enterprise-wide identifier for each patient across systems

The MPI assigns and maintains a single enterprise identifier per patient, enabling accurate cross-system data linkage and de-duplication.

A population health dashboard shows a 'funnel chart' for a diabetes management program. What does each stage of the funnel typically represent?

Answer: Sequential care steps showing patient drop-off at each stage

Funnel charts in care programs illustrate how many patients progress through each step—such as identified, contacted, enrolled, and controlled—revealing where patients fall out.

Which HL7 standard is most commonly used for exchanging laboratory results electronically between a lab system and an EHR?

Answer: HL7 v2 ORU (Observation Result Unsolicited) message

The HL7 v2 ORU^R01 message is the industry-standard transaction for transmitting lab results from laboratory information systems to EHRs.