HAC Population Health Analytics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which statistical method is most appropriate for analyzing time-to-event outcomes in a population health cohort study?
- Survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier) (Correct answer)
- Linear regression
- Chi-square test
- Cluster analysis
Correct answer: Survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier)
Survival analysis accounts for censored observations and measures the time until an event (e.g., death, hospitalization) occurs.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)?
- To identify priority health needs and inform strategic investments for a defined community (Correct answer)
- To assess individual patient satisfaction scores
- To calculate hospital operating margins by service line
- To measure physician productivity in outpatient clinics
Correct answer: To identify priority health needs and inform strategic investments for a defined community
The CHNA is a systematic process that identifies community health needs and is required of nonprofit hospitals under the ACA every three years.
Question 3: A health plan segments its members into care management tiers. Which criterion best determines placement in the highest-acuity tier?
- Multiple chronic conditions, high predicted cost, and frequent utilization (Correct answer)
- Single chronic condition with no hospitalizations
- Age over 65 without comorbidities
- Recent pharmacy refill without clinical encounters
Correct answer: Multiple chronic conditions, high predicted cost, and frequent utilization
High-acuity tier placement is driven by complex multimorbidity, cost trajectory, and utilization patterns signaling intensive care needs.
Question 4: Which indicator is used to assess health equity in maternal outcomes across racial groups?
- Preterm birth rate stratified by race/ethnicity (Correct answer)
- Hospital average length of stay for all deliveries
- Total number of OB-GYN providers per county
- Medicaid enrollment percentage by trimester
Correct answer: Preterm birth rate stratified by race/ethnicity
Stratifying preterm birth rates by race/ethnicity reveals disparities and serves as a key maternal health equity indicator.
Question 5: What does a high Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) greater than 1.0 indicate?
- More deaths occurred than expected based on the reference population (Correct answer)
- Fewer deaths occurred than expected
- The population has better-than-average health outcomes
- Mortality data is unreliable for the study period
Correct answer: More deaths occurred than expected based on the reference population
An SMR > 1.0 means observed deaths exceed expected deaths, suggesting excess mortality in the study population.
Question 6: Which framework is most commonly used to organize social determinants of health in US population health programs?
- Healthy People 2030 SDOH framework (Correct answer)
- ICD-10 Z-code classification only
- Medicare Advantage Star Ratings
- HEDIS technical specifications
Correct answer: Healthy People 2030 SDOH framework
Healthy People 2030 organizes SDOH into five domains (economic stability, education, health care access, neighborhood, social context) widely adopted in US programs.
Question 7: In geospatial population health analysis, what is a 'hot spot' analysis used to identify?
- Geographic clusters where health outcomes or risk factors are statistically elevated (Correct answer)
- Individual patients who live far from clinical facilities
- ZIP codes with the highest insurance penetration
- Hospital campuses with the most service lines
Correct answer: Geographic clusters where health outcomes or risk factors are statistically elevated
Hot spot analysis identifies statistically significant geographic concentrations of adverse health events or risk factors for targeted intervention.
HAC Population Health Analytics 3
Which statistical method is most appropriate for analyzing time-to-event outcomes in a population health cohort study?