NCHSE Health Informatics & Technology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under HIPAA, which of the following is NOT considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?
- A patient's date of birth linked to a diagnosis
- A patient's Social Security number
- De-identified statistical data with no patient identifiers (Correct answer)
- A patient's home address
Correct answer: De-identified statistical data with no patient identifiers
De-identified data, from which all 18 HIPAA-specified identifiers have been removed, is not considered PHI and is not subject to HIPAA protections.
Question 2: What coding system is used in the United States to classify diseases, injuries, and health conditions for billing and statistical purposes?
- CPT codes
- ICD-10-CM (Correct answer)
- NDC codes
- SNOMED CT
Correct answer: ICD-10-CM
ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification) is the U.S. system for classifying diagnoses and health conditions used in billing and health statistics.
Question 3: Which type of database stores patient radiology images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs electronically?
- EHR
- PACS (Correct answer)
- HIE
- LIS
Correct answer: PACS
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) is a medical imaging technology that stores, retrieves, distributes, and presents medical images electronically.
Question 4: What is the term for the process of converting paper medical records into digital format?
- Data migration
- Digitization (Correct answer)
- Encoding
- Parsing
Correct answer: Digitization
Digitization is the process of converting analog or paper-based health records into a digital format that can be stored and accessed electronically.
Question 5: A healthcare worker accesses a coworker's patient records out of curiosity, not for treatment purposes. This is a violation of:
- OSHA standards
- HIPAA Privacy Rule (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission standards
- The HITECH Act only
Correct answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule prohibits accessing or using PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations without patient authorization.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'meaningful use' in the context of electronic health records?
- Using EHRs to create aesthetically designed patient reports
- Meeting specific criteria for EHR use that improve quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare (Correct answer)
- Allowing patients unlimited access to edit their records
- Replacing all paper with digital forms regardless of functionality
Correct answer: Meeting specific criteria for EHR use that improve quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare
Meaningful use refers to meeting specific standards for using certified EHR technology in ways that improve healthcare quality, safety, efficiency, and patient engagement.
Question 7: In health informatics, what does the acronym 'SNOMED CT' stand for?
- Standard Nursing Operations and Medical Electronic Data — Clinical Terms
- Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms (Correct answer)
- Systematic Network of Medical and Epidemiological Data — Coded Terms
- Standard Nomenclature of Medical Entities — Clinical Technology
Correct answer: Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms
SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms) is a comprehensive, multilingual clinical healthcare terminology used in EHR systems.
NCHSE Health Informatics & Technology 2
Under HIPAA, which of the following is NOT considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?