Understanding Healthcare Statistics1. Youre trying to determine.docx

Understanding Healthcare Statistics
1. You're trying to determine if Unit B can accommodate more
patients based on the length of stay for that
unit. What information will probably be the most useful in
making this determination?
A. Total inpatient service days
B. Bed turnover rate
C. Change in bed count
D. Complete master census
2. You're calculating statistics using the following formula:
Total autopsies on inpatient deaths for 2012 × 100
Total inpatient deaths for 2012
What rate are you trying to determine?
A. Net autopsy rate
B. Adjusted hospital autopsy rate
C. Gross autopsy rate
D. Fetal autopsy rate
3. During a consultation, a podiatrist notices that a patient has
an infection from an IV tube that was
inserted into her arm just after gastric surgery. This infection
would be included in which one of the
following rates?
A. Postoperative infection rate
B. Anesthesia rate
C. Consultation rate
D. Infection rate
4. You're looking at a census that shows the following
information for September 15:
24 patients admitted
9 patients discharged
2 patients transferred
You're likely reviewing the _______ census.
A. daily inpatient
B. complete master

C. service days
D. inpatient
5. You're calculating the hospital's net death rate when you
realize that two of the deaths occurred within
the first 12 and 36 hours of admission, respectively. How
should these deaths be reflected in the net death
rate?
A. They should be subtracted from the total number of inpatient
deaths.
B. They should be divided by 12 and then added to the net death
rate.
C. They shouldn't be included in the calculation.
D. They should be added to the net death rate.
6. An infant dies three days after birth. This death is classified
as a/an _______ death.
A. infant
B. perinatal
C. postneonatal
D. neonatal
7. You sit on a committee that's trying to determine whether or
not the hospital is providing necessary
services in a cost-effective manner. Which one of the following
statistics would be most useful to you?
A. Average length of stay
B. Occupancy rate
C. Bed occupancy ratio
D. Discharge days
8. What is the gross death rate for a hospital with 450
discharges, 4 inpatient deaths, and 3 newborn deaths
in a 30-day period?
A. 23.3%
B. 1.56%
C. 15%
D. 64.3%
9. A pregnant woman was hit by a car and died three days after
admission to the hospital. Her death would

be included in which one of the following statistics?
A. Maternal death rate
B. Gross death rate
C. Obstetric death rate
D. Postoperative death rate
10. University Hospital has 244 staffed inpatient beds, 10
emergency room beds, and an additional 50 beds
that can be set up in an emergency. Today, 157 inpatient beds
are occupied. What is the current bed count
for this hospital?
A. 304
B. 244
C. 157
D. 87
11. Review the following information for University Hospital:
March discharge days: 222
March discharges (including deaths): 44
March newborn discharges: 12
What is the average length of stay for March?
A. 4 days
B. 3 days
C. 5 days
D. 6 days
12. Which one of the following organizations collects cancer
mortality statistics to provide national data?
A. AHRQ
B. AHIMA
C. NCHS
D. CDC
13. Which one of the following deaths should be included in the
hospital autopsy rate?
A. An outpatient death following surgery
B. A fetal death at 20 weeks' gestation
C. An inpatient death following surgery
D. A patient death in an ambulance on the way to the emergency
room

14. Your organization uses statistics to determine if it's
providing the best care at the lowest cost. You
probably work for a/an
A. HH organization.
B. mental health facility.
C. MCO.
D. cancer registry.
15. You're asked to provide statistics on the top five procedures
performed most often at your facility
during the last six months. You should probably use _______
statistics.
A. inferential
B. descriptive
C. proportional
D. vital
16. Megan took a doctor-approved leave of absence from the
hospital on Monday and then came back two
nights later. How does her absence affect inpatient service
days?
A. It's counted as 0.5 days.
End of exam
B. It isn't counted on inpatient service days.
C. It's counted as 1 day.
D. It's counted as 2 days.
17. There were 27 patients admitted and 34 patients discharged
from Surgical ICU during the first week of
December. Of the 34 discharged, 4 were deaths and 7 had
nosocomial infections. Which numbers should
be used in the calculation of the Surgical ICU's infection rate
for the week of December 1?
A. 7, 7, 4
B. 7, 30
C. 7, 34
D. 7, 34, 27
18. Based on the following information, what is the maximum
number of bed count days for October?

October 1-15: 50 inpatient beds
October 16-31: 65 inpatient beds
A. 975
B. 815
C. 1,725
D. 750
19. Peter was admitted on October 30 and discharged on
November 4. What is his length of stay?
A. 4 days
B. 6 days
C. 7 days
D. 5 days
20. During March, a hospital had 135 deliveries: 122 were
vaginal births and 13 were Cesarean sections.
Which one of the following formulas will determine the correct
C-section rate for the month of March?
A. (13 × 100)/122
B. (13 × 100)/135
C. (135 × 100)/13
D. (122 × 100)/13
Compiling and Presenting Healthcare Statistics
1. The coding supervisor at your facility hires a new full-time
coder and pays her $15 per hour with 30%
benefits. What is the total annual compensation for the new
coder?
A. $31,200
B. $93,600
C. $62,400
D. $40,560
2. Which one of the following data display tools should you use
to present data that shows the length of
stay for patients discharged from a specific DRG over a one-
year period?
A. Pie chart
B. Scatter diagram

C. Histogram
D. Frequency polygon
3. The null hypothesis states that the difference between two
population means is
A. zero.
B. undeterminable.
C. variable.
D. a Type I error.
4. Which one of the following factors should be considered
when validating the cost for release of
information?
A. The number of physicians who saw the patient
B. The cost for a first-time patient request
C. The amount of time it takes to find the record and make
copies
D. The unit cost for transcribed reports
5. What is the best reason to review literature before you begin
research on a topic?
A. To determine whether research has already been done
B. To formulate a null hypothesis
C. To break down potential problems into smaller subproblems
D. To draw conclusions about your topic
6. Which of the following items is included in a capital budget?
A. A ream of copier paper
B. A new telephone for the ROI department
C. Three new printers for the coding area
D. Earphones for transcription work
7. The HIM department would like to purchase three new
laptops for the coders to use while coding
concurrently on each of the nursing units. The total cost of the
laptops is $7,500, but in time and revenue
approximately $3,250 will be saved per year. What is the ROI?
A. 56.6%
B. 43.3%
C. 14.4%
D. 23.1%

8. You're interviewing HIM directors from other area hospitals
to learn about their experiences with
noncertified coders. You're conducting _______ research.
A. experimental
B. conclusive
C. quantitative
D. qualitative
9. You're presenting data that shows a cause-and-effect
relationship among several clustered points. Which
one of the following data presentation tools are you most likely
using?
A. Scatter diagram
B. Histogram
C. Pictogram
D. Frequency polygon
10. You're reviewing the heights of the last 10 patients seen by
a doctor. What type of data are you
reviewing?
A. Nominal data
B. Ratio data
C. Ordinal data
D. Continuous data
11. Which one of the following numbers represents the proper
way to report a facility's case-mix index?
A. 2.11%
B. 211.49%
C. 21149
D. 2.1149
12. In the number line 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, the
number 13 represents the
A. mean and median.
B. median and range.
C. mean and mode.
D. mode and range.
13. You're presenting data to the management team in your
facility. You want to show the percentage of

hospital admissions by each payer. This information is best
displayed in a
A. bar graph.
B. pie chart.
C. line graph.
D. histogram.
14. You've determined that your inpatient coders should be
coding an average of five records per hour.
You most likely determined this number by calculating
A. unit labor costs.
B. staffing levels.
C. productivity.
D. employee compensation costs.
15. Which one of the following rates is a measure of central
tendency?
A. ROI
B. Discharges
C. ALOS
D. Admissions
16. Your monthly budget shows that the budgeted amount of
$5,500 was different from the actual amount
spent, which was $7,235. What is the variance?
A. 13.6% over budget
B. 31.5% over budget
C. 24% over budget
D. 76% over budget
17. Which one of the following items can be calculated as a
labor unit cost?
A. Time spent answering patient e-mail
B. Annual salary for a coding supervisor
C. Average length of stay for newborns in the ICU
D. Monthly consultations for a physician
18. You're trying to decide if you should outsource the release
of information area of your department, and
you've come up with a list of pros and cons. Which step in the
research process does this represent?

A. Collecting and analyzing data
B. Reviewing the literature
C. Drawing conclusions
D. Defining the problem
End of exam
19. Your statistics show that there were 127 new cases of
congestive heart failure at University Hospital
over the past six months. This information is an example of
_______ data.
A. discrete
B. interval
C. nominal
D. ordinal
20. Emily is about to receive her first annual review. She
currently makes $20,435 per year and produces
1,250 lines each day. What is Emily's annual productivity?
A. 456,250 lines per year
B. 16,348 lines per year
C. 65,000 lines per year
D. 325,000 lines per year
HEALTHCARE STATISTICS
RESEARCH PROJECT
Background
Your research project for this course requires you to
calculate healthcare statistics based on a specific DRG clas-
sification. You’ll perform 10 calculations and submit all of
your work to the school for grading.
Procedure
You’re part of a hospital committee that has been asked to
study the following diagnosis-related group due to variations
in length of stay and total charges:
DRG 320, Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections,
age>17 with CC
As a result, you prepare the following profile for patients in

Study Guide
Healthcare Statistics
By
Jacqueline K. Wilson, RHIA
About the Author
Jacqueline K. Wilson is a Registered Health Information
Administrator
(RHIA) who has more than ten years of experience consulting,
writing,
and teaching in the health care industry. She’s a professional
writer
who has authored training manuals, study guides/materials,
online
courses, and articles on a variety of topics. In addition, Ms.
Wilson
develops curricula and teaches both traditional and online
college
courses in health information technology, anatomy and medical
terminology, and standards in health care. In 2005, she received
the distinguished national award of being included in Who’s
Who
Among America’s Teachers.
Copyright © 2012 by Penn Foster, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this

copyright may be
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work
should be
mailed to Copyright Permissions, Penn Foster, 925 Oak Street,
Scranton,
Pennsylvania 18515.
Printed in the United States of America
11/3/14
All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks
or service
marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this
text should not be
regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service
mark.
iii
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS 1
LESSON ASSIGNMENTS 5
LESSON 1: UNDERSTANDING HEALTHCARE
STATISTICS 7
LESSON 2: COMPILING AND PRESENTING
HEALTHCARE STATISTICS 25
RESEARCH PROJECT 51
SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 57
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INTRODUCTION
Statistics are used in a wide variety of fields, including
business, academics, science, government, and of course,
healthcare. Individuals and organizations use statistics to
interpret data and make informed decisions based on those
interpretations. As you’ve probably guessed, statistics play a
very important role in the healthcare field, since they have a
great impact on the types and quality of healthcare services
offered to patients.
No matter what career you choose within the field of health
information management, you’ll likely deal with statistics
regularly. Therefore, this course provides an overview of the

basic types of healthcare statistics and describes how this
information is used within the healthcare industry.
OBJECTIVES
When you complete this course, you’ll be able to
n Apply basic statistical principles
n Define data elements for institute-wide collection
n Calculate and report institutional healthcare quality
indicators
n Calculate routine institutional statistics, such as length
of stay, death rates, autopsy rates, occupancy rates,
bed turnover rates, and morbidities
n Prepare and present research data
n Distinguish between descriptive statistics and inferential
statistics
n Explain percentage of occupancy
n Analyze patient data with quality improvement tools
n Design reports using database information
n Perform statistical analysis of patient information
n Participate in committees utilizing health record information
YOUR TEXTBOOK

Your textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare Statistics,
Fourth Edition, by Loretta A. Horton, contains the material
on which you’ll be tested. You need to become familiar with
this textbook prior to beginning your course. Begin by reading
the contents on page iii. This will give you an overview of the
entire textbook. Appendix A begins on page 263 and lists all
the statistical formulas discussed in the textbook, along with
the corresponding page number references. Appendix B
begins on page 271 and is a complete glossary of health-
care services and statistical terms. Following Appendix C
is an index on page 323.
YOUR STUDY GUIDE
This study guide is intended to be used as a supplement to
the textbook. Therefore, it shouldn’t replace your textbook
reading. The study guide is designed to follow the topics in
your textbook, so it’s arranged in an outline format based on
the textbook headings and subheadings.
Each assignment in the study guide lists the page numbers
of the corresponding assignment in the textbook. When you
approach each assignment, you should first read the infor-
mation in the study guide and then study the corresponding
assignment in the textbook. The study guide provides an
overview of the information in the textbook and highlights
important passages that you should examine carefully. If you
don’t understand a topic or section in the textbook, take the
time to reread the information. Because much of the material
discussed in this course will be new to you, it’s natural that
you may need to read some sections more than once.
Throughout your study guide, you’ll come across small sec-
tions of text that are set apart from the main text material.
These sidebars are included to provide additional information,

to suggest readings, and to clarify or emphasize important
points. Whenever you see one of these sidebars, refer to the
corresponding passage in the textbook to be sure you fully
understand the material presented.
Instructions to Students2
COURSE MATERIALS
This course includes the following materials:
1. This study guide, which contains an introduction to your
course, plus
n A lesson assignments page with a schedule of study
assignments as well as exams for the two lessons
you’ll complete during this course
n Assignment lessons emphasizing the main points in
the textbook
n Self-checks and answers to help you assess your
understanding of the material
2. Your course textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare
Statistics, which contains the assignment reading material
A STUDY PLAN
As mentioned, you’ll use two texts for this course: Calculating
and Reporting Healthcare Statistics and this study guide. For
each lesson in this course, follow these steps:
Step 1: Carefully note the pages where your assigned read-

ing begins and ends. These pages are identified in
the Lesson Assignments section of this study guide.
Step 2: Skim through the assigned pages (in both the study
guide and the textbook) to get a general idea of their
content. Try to develop an overall perspective on
the concepts and skills being taught and practiced
in each assignment.
Step 3: Carefully read through the study guide’s assigned
pages. These pages contain background informa-
tion about the material covered in the textbook.
Step 4: Study the assigned pages in your textbook, and
take notes on any important points or terms that
you feel are especially significant.
Instructions to Students 3
Step 5: Complete the self-check exercises at the end of each
assignment in the study guide. You don’t have to
send any of the answers to the school. These
exercises are intended for your personal use in
evaluating and directing your progress.
Step 6: When you feel you’ve mastered all of the material
presented in each assignment, complete the exami-
nation at the end of each lesson.
Instructions to Students4
Lesson 1: Understanding Healthcare Statistics

For: Read in the Read in
study guide: your textbook:
Assignment 1 Pages 7–10 Pages 1–7
Assignment 2 Page 11 Pages 9–20
Examination 409411 Material in Lesson 1
Lesson 2: Compiling and Presenting Healthcare
Statistics
For: Read in the Read in
study guide: your textbook:
Assignment 10 Pages 30–35 No textbook reading

Examination 409412 Material in Lesson 2
Research Project 40941300
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Lesson Assignments6
7
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Understanding Healthcare
Statistics
INTRODUCTION

Healthcare statistics come from a number of different sources,
and they’re used by many organizations within the health-
care field. As you’ll learn in this lesson, your role as a health
information management professional is to familiarize yourself
with the types of statistics available and to use that information
to better serve the patients within your healthcare facility.
ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION
TO HEALTHCARE STATISTICS
Read through the following material in your study guide. After
you’ve read the study guide commentary, read pages 1–7 of
your textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare Statistics.
The Importance of Healthcare
Statistics
Statistics play an important role in all aspects of health infor-
mation management. They provide information that’s essential
to the quality, prioritization, effectiveness, cost, and reimburse-
ment of patient care. For example, population statistics inform
healthcare facilities about the types of services needed for
patients in their area. Statistics from patient surveys help
healthcare facilities improve their levels of service. Statistics
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
provide important information about contagious diseases
and how they’re controlled.
Healthcare Statistics8
Nationwide, healthcare statistics allow facilities to identify
trends and collect information regarding different groups
within the population. According to the National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS), healthcare statistics allow facilities to

n Document the health status of the population and of
important subgroups
n Identify disparities in health status and the use of
healthcare by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
religion, and other population characteristics
n Monitor trends in health status and healthcare delivery
n Identify health problems
n Support biomedical and health services research
n Provide information regarding changes to public policies
and programs
n Evaluate the impact of health policies and programs
Who Uses Healthcare Statistics?
Each department within a healthcare facility relies on infor-
mation from healthcare statistics. In a hospital, for example,
administrators use healthcare statistics to analyze the costs
of patient care and to create opportunities to introduce cost-
saving measures. Nurses use statistics to keep track of the
types of patients they treat and the frequency with which
they treat them. These statistics help nurses with supply
orders and staff schedules.
The use of healthcare statistics isn’t limited to patient care
facilities. For example, government agencies maintain health-
care statistics to determine which coverage services are needed
and to identify specific areas of outbreak within the population.
National registries, such as cancer registries, collect
information

about the available treatments and survival rates for diseases.
This information affects federal funding for research and
vaccine development.
Lesson 1 9
Your Role in Healthcare Statistics
Gathering, maintaining, and storing information is an important
role for health information management (HIM) professionals.
According to Mervat Abdelhak, the president of the American
Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), “As the
healthcare industry moves further into the information age, the
role of the HIM professional is becoming even more critical.
The move from paper to electronic health records will help
doctors make important healthcare decisions on a real-time
basis, but these decisions will rely on secure access to clear,
concise, accurate, and easy-to-understand information.”
As a health information management professional, you’re
required to gather and analyze healthcare statistics. You may
be responsible for reporting on a variety of statistics needed
by your facility and by outside organizations. Most of the
information you’ll gather will come from the ICD-9-CM and
CPT coding manuals. Other statistical information you may
be responsible for as an HIM professional includes data
related to
n Birth and death records
n Health records
n Interview surveys

n Cancer rates
n Poisonings
n Accidents
n DRG case mixes
n Transcription errors
Types of Statistics
As your textbook describes, the two main types of statistics
are descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive
statistics summarize and describe a collection of data.
Inferential statistics identify patterns in seemingly random
data and draw conclusions based on that information. They
also help people make observations about the processes or
population being studied.
Inferential statistics are derived from a random sample of a
particular population or a random process that’s observed
over a finite period of time. These statistics are based on
probability and include the following techniques to draw
conclusions from data:
n Point estimation
n Interval estimation
n Hypothesis testing

These techniques will be discussed in depth later in this
course.
Once you feel comfortable with the material covered in your
textbook and study guide, complete Self-Check 1.
Self-Check 1
At the end of each section of Healthcare Statistics, you’ll be
asked to pause and check your
understanding of what you’ve just read by completing a “Self-
Check” exercise. Answering
these questions will help you review what you’ve studied so far.
Please complete Self-
Check 1 now.
Complete the Chapter 1 Test on pages 7 and 8 of your textbook,
Calculating and Reporting
Healthcare Statistics.
Check your answers with those on page 57.
Lesson 1 11
ASSIGNMENT 2: MATHEMATICAL
STATISTICS REVIEW
Chapter 2 in your textbook serves as a review of the basic
mathematical principles used in statistics. You should be
familiar with each of these processes. Be sure to review the

entire chapter to gain a thorough understanding of each of
the following mathematical expressions:
n Fractions
n Quotients
n Rounded numbers
n Percentages
n Ratios
n Rates
n Averages
Self-Check 2
Complete the Chapter 2 Test on pages 20–22 of your textbook,
ASSIGNMENT 3: PATIENT
CENSUS DATA

Introduction to Patient Census Data
An inpatient census reports the number of patients present in
a healthcare facility during a specified period of time.
Inpatients
are classified as those patients who receive room, board, food,
and care for a period of 24 hours or more. A daily census is
generally calculated from midnight on one night to midnight
the next night.
To calculate census statistics, you must completely under-
stand census terminology.
n A complete master census shows the number of patients
admitted, discharged, and transferred each day. It’s also
referred to as the total hospital census.
n A daily inpatient census shows the number of inpatients
present on each unit during the census-taking time each
day. This census includes inpatients who were admitted
after the previous day’s census and those discharged
prior to the next day’s census.
n An inpatient service day denotes the services received by
one inpatient during a 24-hour period. An inpatient service
day is also referred to as a patient day, an inpatient day,
a bed occupancy day, and a census day.
n A total inpatient service day is the sum of all inpatient
service days in a given period.
Lesson 1 13

Calculating Inpatient Service Days
As your textbook discusses, the calculation of inpatient
service days takes place between midnight one night and
midnight the next night. During this 24-hour period, the
following information is recorded:
n The number of patients admitted
n The number of patients discharged (including deaths)
n The number of intrahospital transfers (patients trans-
ferred from one unit in the hospital to another)
Note that adults and children are reported separately from
newborns because newborn statistics can skew information,
since the maintenance costs of newborns differs from the
maintenance costs of other patients. Newborns are counted
as inpatients only if they’re born at home or on the way to
the hospital.
Calculating an Average Daily Census
An average daily census is the mean number of hospital
inpatients present each day for a specific period of time. A
mean is calculated by dividing the sum of a set of terms by
the number of terms. A mean is also known as an average.
An average is based on a specific time period, generally the
number of days in the month in question.
Several variations of the average daily census are reported
within a healthcare setting:
n Average daily inpatient census—the average number of
inpatients present each day in a given period

n Average daily newborn census—the average number of
newborns present each day in a given period
n Average daily census for a patient care unit—the average
number of inpatients in a specified care unit in a given
period
Review the formulas
and examples for calcu-
lating inpatient service
days on pages 29–31 of
your textbook.
Be sure to review the formulas for calculating the average
daily inpatient census, the average daily newborn census, and
the average daily census for a patient care unit on pages 38–39
of your textbook. Once you feel comfortable with the material
covered in your textbook and study guide, complete Self-Check
3.
Self-Check 3
Complete the Chapter 3 Test on pages 41 and 42 of your
textbook, Calculating and Reporting
ASSIGNMENT 4: PERCENTAGE
OF OCCUPANCY

The percentage of occupancy refers to the official percentage of
beds occupied by inpatients in a given period. The percentage
of occupancy is also referred to as the inpatient bed occupancy
rate. Healthcare administrators are often very interested in
this percentage because, in general, the greater the occupancy
rate, the higher the revenues for the facility.
As your textbook discusses, each healthcare facility is
licensed for a specific number of beds based on certain
factors, such as facility type and staffing needs. Each bed
included in the inpatient bed occupancy rate must be ready
for patient care and staffed for use.
Lesson 1 15
The following factors either determine or affect occupancy
rates:
n Bed count days
n Bed occupancy ratios/percentages
n Changes in bed count
n Newborn occupancy ratios
n Bed turnover rates
Be sure to study each of these formulas on pages 45–53 of
your textbook. Once you feel comfortable with the material
covered in your textbook and study guide, complete Self-

Check 4.
Self-Check 4
ASSIGNMENT 5: LENGTH OF STAY
Introduction to Length of Stay
Length of stay (LOS) refers to the total number of patient days
for an inpatient stay. For each patient that’s discharged from
the hospital, a length of stay is calculated. As your textbook
discusses, the length of stay is often reviewed to determine if
services are over- or underutilized. Generally speaking, the
longer the length of stay for a patient, the more resources are
used. As a result, reimbursement to a healthcare facility may
not be enough to cover the costs of overused resources. As
you can imagine, hospital managers and administrators are
very interested in length-of-stay data.
Calculating Length of Stay
To calculate length of stay, subtract the date of admission

from the date of discharge. If a patient is admitted during one
month and discharged during another, this formula can’t be
used. To adjust for a patient admitted and discharged during
different months, subtract the date of admission from the
total number of days in that month, and then add the num-
ber of days in the new month. For example, the length of stay
for a patient admitted on December 25 and released on
January 2 is calculated as follows:
(December 31 – December 25) + 2 days in January =
8 days for LOS
Partial Days
Partial days aren’t reported as fractions. If a patient is admitted
and discharged on the same day (even if he or she dies), that
day is counted as an entire day because the patient used
resources. For example, if a patient is admitted at 8:00 A.M.
on February 1 and dies at 3:00 P.M. on the same day,
February 1 is still reported as one day for LOS.
Total Length of Stay
Total length of stay is sometimes referred to as total discharge
days. The total length of stay is used to determine the total
days for a certain group of inpatients during a specific period.
The total length of stay is calculated by adding the lengths of
stay for all patients discharged during a given period of time.
Lesson 1 17
Let’s consider an example. Suppose three patients are in an
intensive care unit on March 15. The length of stay for each
patient is as follows:

Patient A: 5 LOS
Patient B: 3 LOS
Patient C: 4 LOS
To calculate the total length of stay, add together the length
of stay for each of the three patients.
5 + 3 + 4 = 12
The total length of stay for March 15 is 12.
Average Length of Stay
Average length of stay, or ALOS, refers to the mean length of
stay for hospital inpatients discharged during a specified
period of time.
The formula for calculating the average length of stay is
as follows:
Total length of stay for a given time period
Total number of discharges (including deaths)
for the same period
If we continue with the previous example, the ALOS for
three patients discharged from the ICU on March 15 is 4
(12 � 3 = 4).
Newborns are calculated

separately. Review the
formula for average
newborn length of stay
on page 64 of your
textbook.
ASSIGNMENT 6: MORTALITY
RATES
Mortality is the incidence of death in a specified population.
In a healthcare facility, the death rate, also known as the
mortality rate, reflects the inpatient discharges that end in
death.
The hospital death rate, or gross death rate, is the number of
inpatient deaths for a specific period of time divided by the
total number of discharges (live discharges and deaths)
during the same period.
You may wonder why we need to track and report information
about hospital deaths. As your textbook discusses, death rate
statistics are reported because they help us to
n Isolate items that cause death or increase death rates,
such as handguns and motorcycles
n Bring attention to causes, such as campaigns for heart
disease and cancer research

n Understand causes of death in certain populations
Self-Check 5
Complete Exercise 5.2 on page 59, Exercise 5.5 on pages 63–64,
and Exercise 5.7 on
pages 66–67 of your textbook, Calculating and Reporting
Lesson 1 19
n Plan for health services
n Improve patients’ quality of care
The following death rates are calculated within healthcare
organizations:
n Hospital death rates (or gross death rates)
n Net death rates (or institutional death rates)
n Postoperative death rates (or surgical death rates)
n Anesthesia death rates
n Maternal death rates
n Newborn mortality rates
n Fetal death rates

n Cancer mortality rates
Be sure to thoroughly review each of the mortality rate formulas
in Chapter 6. Once you feel comfortable with the material cov-
ered in your textbook and study guide, complete Self-Check 6.
Self-Check 6
ASSIGNMENT 7: AUTOPSY RATES
Understanding Hospital Autopsies
An autopsy, also referred to as a necropsy and postmortem
examination, is an examination of a dead body to determine
the cause of death. Two kinds of autopsies are generally
performed:
1. A hospital inpatient autopsy is performed on an inpatient
who dies during a hospital stay.
2. A hospital autopsy is performed on a previous patient
who wasn’t in the hospital at the time of death.

Healthcare facilities typically report the following autopsy
rates:
n Gross autopsy rate
n Net autopsy rate
n Adjusted hospital autopsy rate
n Newborn autopsy rate
n Fetal autopsy rate
Newborn Autopsy Rates versus Fetal
Autopsy Rates
It’s important to distinguish newborn autopsy rates from fetal
autopsy rates, since the two are sometimes confused. Newborn
autopsy rates are derived from the number of autopsies per-
formed on newborn infants. Fetal autopsy rates are derived
from the number of autopsies performed on stillborn infants
who are classified as either intermediate or late fetal deaths.
As in other statistical computations, newborn autopsy rates
are calculated separately from other inpatient autopsies.
Review each of the
autopsy rate formulas
discussed in Chapter 7.
Lesson 1 21

Self-Check 7
Complete the Chapter 7 Test on pages 109–113 of your
ASSIGNMENT 8: MORBIDITY
RATES
Understanding Morbidity
Morbidity is the state of being ill or diseased. It includes any
illness, injury, or abnormal health problem. In statistical cal-
culations, morbidity generally refers to the number of cases
of disease in relation to a specific issue.
It’s important to note the distinction between morbidity rates
and mortality rates, since they’re sometimes confused within
the healthcare community. Recall that mortality rate refers to
the incidence of death within a specified population; morbidity
rate refers to the incidence of illness. Misinterpreting morbidity
rates as mortality rates can result in a huge misrepresentation
of data.
The most common hospital morbidities are nosocomial
infections, or infections that patients acquire during a
hospital stay. Nosocomial infections can be contracted in

a number of ways. For example, patients may acquire a
nosocomial infection from a healthcare provider who doesn’t
wash his or her hands properly or from an adverse reaction to
the insertion of an intravenous tube. Other common morbidities
are postoperative infections, which occur in patients who
recently underwent surgery or another similar procedure.
Both nosocomial infection rates and postoperative infection
rates are reported as percentages.
Miscellaneous Rates
Several other miscellaneous statistics are reported by health-
care facilities, including Cesarean-section (C-section) rates and
consultation rates.
C-section rates reflect the percentage of C-sections (deliveries
via abdominal incision) compared to the percentage of vaginal
or spontaneous deliveries. C-section rates are often tracked
due to concerns of adverse reactions to the mother and child
and because of the costs associated with the procedure.
Consultation rates reflect the percentage of opinions or consul-
tations requested by one healthcare professional to another.
For example, a family physician may request a consult from a
podiatrist if his or her patient is experiencing a specific foot
problem, like a heel spur. The consultant typically prepares a
consultation report that consists of his or her opinion of the
patient’s condition and recommendations for treatment.
textbook and study guide, complete Self-Check 8. When you’re
finished, proceed to your first examination.
Review the formulas
for morbidity rates on
pages 116–117 of your

textbook.
Review the formulas for
calculating C-section
rates and consultation
rates on pages 124–127
of your textbook.
Lesson 1 23
Self-Check 8
NOTES
25
Compiling and Presenting
Healthcare Statistics
INTRODUCTION
Most of the statistical information gathered and reported

within a health information management department deals
with the business aspects of a facility, not the clinical aspects.
As an HIM professional, you’re responsible for calculating,
compiling, and presenting the business statistics in your
facility. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to calculate employee
compensation costs, unit labor costs, productivity levels,
staffing levels, and budgets. You’ll also learn how to verify
statistical reports, maintain and update spreadsheets,
conduct research for statistical reporting purposes, and
prepare data for presentation.
ASSIGNMENT 9: THE HIM
DEPARTMENT AND STATISTICS
you’ve read the study guide commentary, read pages 137–165
of your textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare
Statistics.
Employee Compensation and Unit
Labor Costs
As you can imagine, it’s important for health information
managers to track the costs associated with the productivity
of staff members within a facility. One way HIM managers
can do this is by keeping track of employee compensation
and unit labor costs.
Employee compensation refers to the amount of money an
employee is paid. In some cases, employees are paid on an
hourly basis. Other times, they’re paid an annual salary.
To calculate the annual compensation for an individual
L
e
s

s
o
n
2
L
e
s
s
o
n
2
employee, you must consider the number of hours the
employee works per year, the amount he or she is paid per
hour, and the percentage of benefits he or she receives.
Unit labor costs are the costs of labor per unit of output.
These costs are calculated by dividing an employee’s annual
compensation by his or her annual productivity. Unit labor
costs rise when compensation and benefits rise faster than
labor productivity, so it’s important to keep track of this
information.
Other Labor Unit Costs
As you can imagine, additional labor unit costs are calculated
within a health information management department. Some

of these costs are associated with the amount of time staff
members spend maintaining patient health records. Such
maintenance responsibilities include
n Chart pulling
n Record scanning
n E-mailing
n Filing loose papers
Technological advancements greatly impact health record
maintenance costs. For example, many facilities now store
patient records electronically, reducing the costs associated
with paper chart retrievals. Yet as patients increasingly use
e-mail to communicate with healthcare providers, the costs
associated with maintaining e-mail systems and answering
patient e-mails also increase.
Productivity
Just as important as the labor unit costs associated with the
HIM department is the productivity of each staff member.
Productivity is the ability to yield results, benefits, or profits.
Each area of the HIM department has a different standard of
productivity. For example, a transcriptionist’s productivity is
based on the number of reports he or she accurately transcribes
Review the formulas for
calculating employee
compensation and unit
labor costs on pages
138–141 of your textbook.

Lesson 2 27
within a specific period, while a coder’s productivity is based
on the number of records he or she accurately codes within a
specific period.
Staffing Levels
Statistics regarding labor costs and productivity levels help
facilities determine how many staff members are needed to
complete the work within the HIM department. To calculate
staffing requirements, HIM professionals must consider the
current and future staffing needs within the department. Out-
patient facilities typically determine staff levels by dividing
the number of patient encounters by the expected productiv-
ity of the department. Hospitals often determine staff levels
based on the number of patients discharged from the facility.
Budgets
All of the costs within a facility are considered in the creation
of a budget. A budget is a plan that lists the amount of
money a facility will spend and the amount it will record as
profit within a specific period of time.
Your textbook discusses two different types of budgets:
n An operational budget, or operating budget, is an annual
budget that estimates the total value of resources required
for the operation of the facility, including reimbursable
work and services for other facilities. It also includes
estimates of workload in terms of the total work units
identified by cost accounts.
n A capital budget is a plan to finance long-term items and

fixed assets, such as facilities and equipment. During
capital budgeting, the HIM manager decides whether or
not to invest in specific capital projects or assets. Since
capital budget items are generally costly, an HIM man-
ager must consider whether or not the project will last
for more than a year and produce a favorable return on
investment (ROI). For example, if a coding department
Review the productivity
formulas on pages
147–148 of your
textbook.
Review the staffing
formulas on pages
148–149 of your
textbook.
Review the ALOS verifi-
cation example on
page 155 of your text-
book and the case-mix
formula on page 158
of your textbook.
needs five new computers and printers, an HIM profes-
sional must calculate the return on investment and
payback period for the capital budget.
Verification of Statistical Reports
Another part of the job of an HIM professional is to verify

the statistical reports produced by the computer system in
a healthcare facility. Because only certain information can
be entered into the system for certain reports, manual verifi-
cation and calculation of computer-generated reports may
be necessary.
An HIM department may be responsible for verification and
manual calculation of the following computer-generated
hospital reports:
n Discharge reports
n Financial statistical reports
n Readmission rate reports
n Case-mix index reports
You may wonder why the HIM department is responsible for
verifying and calculating information from financial reports.
Remember that an HIM department is responsible for coding
patient records, and coding is directly related to reimburse-
ment for the hospital. Therefore, the HIM department plays a
major role in reporting and verifying certain types of hospital
financial information.
Spreadsheets
A final requirement of an HIM professional is to create, main-
tain, and update spreadsheets for the facility. Spreadsheets
are computerized programs that automatically perform calcu-
lations based on information that’s manually entered into the
program. (Although many different spreadsheet programs are
available, you may already be familiar with one you’ve used at
school or work, such as Microsoft Excel.) For example, it may
be necessary for you to extract information from computer-

Review the formulas
for operational and
capital budgets on
pages 152–155 of
your textbook.
Lesson 2 29
generated hospital reports and enter it into a spreadsheet to
track certain information for your department or area. The
spreadsheets will help you create charts, graphs, and diagrams
that can be presented at meetings.
Self-Check 9
ASSIGNMENT 10: INFORMATION
SOURCES FOR HEALTHCARE
STATISTICS
Read through the following material in your study guide. Note
that while there’s no textbook reading for this assignment,

you’re still responsible for the material covered here.
Introduction to the Benchmarking
Process
Members of an HIM department are often responsible for
benchmarking within their facility. Benchmarking is the
process of comparing rate historical data with another specific
data set to analyze current information and project information
for the future. For example, HIM professionals in a hospital
may want to compare the average length of stay for C-section
mothers and babies to the average length of stay for the same
group nationwide. This comparison helps HIM professionals
determine whether their facility uses more or less resources
than other facilities across the nation. Such a comparison
can also help identify and correct problems within the facility
related to the care and services provided to this group of
patients.
HIM professionals obtain information for the benchmarking
process from a number of sources of healthcare statistics.
We’ll discuss each of these sources and their role in health-
care statistics in the next few sections.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
As part of the Department of Health and Human Services,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, is
committed to public health efforts that help to prevent and
control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace
hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. In
addition, the CDC provides a large amount of data and

statistical information that’s compiled from worldwide
research findings. You can visit the CDC Web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/.
As an HIM professional, you may occasionally need to rely on
information and resources compiled by the CDC for statistical
reporting purposes. These helpful resources include
n Cancer Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results
(SEER)—Statistics on new cancer cases grouped by age,
gender, race, year, state, county, or ICD-9-CM code
(http://seer.cancer.gov/)
n Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)—Information
on deaths caused by traffic accidents
(http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/)
n DATA2020: The Healthy People 2020 Website—
Provides an agenda for improving national health
(http://healthypeople.gov/2020/)
National Center for Health Statistics
As part of the CDC, the National Center for Health Statistics, or
NCHS, is the principal health statistics agency in the United
States. The NCHS plays a key role in national public health
by providing statistical information that helps to identify and
address critical health problems.
Health statistics compiled by the NCHS allow us to
n Document the health status of the population and of
important subgroups
n Identify disparities in health status and the use of
healthcare by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,

region, and other population characteristics
n Monitor trends in health status and healthcare delivery
n Identify health problems
n Support biomedical and health services research
n Provide information for making changes in public
policies and programs
Lesson 2 31
n Evaluate the impact of health policies and programs
The NCHS collects data from many sources, including
n Birth and death records
n Health records
n Interview surveys
n Physical exams
n Laboratory tests
Some of the NCHS resources that may prove useful for HIM
professionals include birth and mortality data. You can
find this information by visiting the NCHS Web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs.

National Health Care Surveys
The National Health Care Surveys are part of the CDC and
NCHS. These surveys are designed to provide information
to healthcare policymakers, healthcare professionals, and
researchers. The surveys typically include information on
the following topics:
n Factors that influence the use of healthcare resources
n Quality of healthcare
n Safety of care
n Disparities in healthcare services
n Resource use, including costs and staffing
n Diffusion of technologies
n Drugs
n Surgical procedures
n Patterns of care for specific conditions
n Special topics
n Bioterrorism and emergency preparedness
n Electronic medical records
Lesson 2 33

According to the CDC, the surveys are nationally representative
and provider-based. They cover a broad spectrum of health-
care settings. Within each setting, data are collected from a
sample of organizations that provide care (such as home
healthcare agencies, inpatient hospital units, and physician
offices) and from samples of patient (or discharge) encounters
within the sampled organizations.
Examples of National Health Care Surveys are as follows:
n National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS)—
Provides information about ambulatory medical care
services in the United States
n National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
(NHAMCS)—Collects data on the ambulatory care services
in hospital emergency and outpatient departments
n National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS)—Provides
information on characteristics of inpatients discharged
from nonfederal short-stay hospitals in the United States
n National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS)—Provides
a nationally representative sample of ambulatory surgery
visits. In 2006, the NSAS went back in the field to collect
data from hospital-based and freestanding ambulatory
surgery facilities.
n National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS)—
Provides information about agencies that provide home
and hospice care and about their current patients and
discharges
n National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS)—Provides informa-
tion about nursing homes, residents, and their staff

You can find more information about the National Health
Care Surveys at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/surveys.htm.
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ,
is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
(AHCPR), it was renamed AHRQ in 1999.
The AHRQ provides practical healthcare information, research
findings, and clinical quality data. It also includes information
regarding
n Evidence-based practice
n Clinical practice
n Technological advancements
n Outcomes and effectiveness
You can find this information by visiting the AHRQ Web site
at http://www.ahrq.gov/.
The AHRQ also hosts the National Guideline Clearinghouse,
which is a public resource for evidence-based clinical practice
guidelines. Visit http://www.guideline.gov/ to learn more.
Institutional Review Boards

All healthcare organizations that conduct research and gather
statistics require an evaluation from an institutional review
board. An institutional review board, or IRB, is a committee of
physicians, statisticians, researchers, and community advocates.
The goal of each committee is to ensure that clinical trials and
studies are ethical and that the rights of study participants
are protected. All clinical trials in the United States must be
approved by an IRB before they begin.
Lesson 2 35
ASSIGNMENT 11: DESCRIPTIVE
STATISTICS IN HEALTHCARE
Recall from Assignment 1 that descriptive statistics are used
to describe information from a specific group or population.
In this assignment, you’ll study the following types of
descriptive statistics used in the healthcare industry:
n Rank
n Quartile
n Decile
Self-Check 10
Indicate whether each of the following statements is True or

False.
______ 1. Benchmarking is the process of comparing rate
historical data with another specific
data set.
______ 2. The National Center for Health Statistics is part of
the CDC.
______ 3. Information on deaths caused by traffic accidents is
provided by FARS.
______ 4. The AHRQ is the principal health statistics agency in
the United States.
______ 5. The purpose of an institutional review board is to
gather statistics from healthcare
organizations.
n Percentile
n Measures of central tendency
n Measures of variation
n Variability
n Range

n Variance
n Standard deviation
n Correlation
Rank
A rank indicates the position of a score or number compared
to other scores or numbers on a list. For example, Table 10.2
on page 171 of your textbook ranks the 15 leading causes of
death in the United States in 2006. As you can see, diabetes
ranks higher than pneumonia, while heart disease ranks
highest on the list.
Quartile
Analyzing large amounts of healthcare data can sometimes be
an overwhelming process. To make health information easier
to understand, it’s often helpful to divide it into quartiles, or
four smaller groups of information that contain an equal
number of observations. The information within each quartile
can be compared to that of the other quartiles, or it can be
analyzed independently.
Decile
Just as health information can be divided into quartiles,
it can also be divided into deciles, or 10 equal parts. Such
divisions are sometimes necessary when a very large amount
of data is being analyzed.
Lesson 2 37

Percentile
Data is more often analyzed in terms of percentiles than
quartiles or deciles. Percentiles represent information that’s
divided into 100 equal parts. You may already be familiar
with the term percentile rank, which is a distribution of scores
in which a specific score is greater than or equal to others.
For example, if you score in the 99th percentile of your class,
your class rank is greater than or equal to 99 percent of all
of your other classmates.
Measures of Central Tendency
An average number that represents a set of data is called a
measure of central tendency. For example, when new parents
compare their newborn’s length and weight to that of typical
newborns, they’re making a comparison using measures of
central tendency. The three most frequently used measures
of central tendency are mean, median, and mode.
Mean. The mean is determined by calculating the arithmetic
average of items in a frequency distribution. When you hear
people refer to the average of a range of data, they’re referring
to the mean.
To find the mean, divide the sum of all of the items included
(represented by the symbol �) by the total number of items
(represented by the symbol N ) . The formula for determining
the mean is as follows:
Let’s look at an example.
Find the mean of the following test scores: 87, 100, 91, 98,
87, 88, 91, 92, 99, 90, and 100.

Step 1: Add all of the test scores together.
87 + 100 + 91 + 98 + 87 + 88 + 91 + 92 + 99 + 90
+ 100 = 1,023
Step 2: Divide the sum of the scores by the total number of
scores included in the calculation.
1,023 ÷ 11 = 93
The mean is 93.
Median. Finding the median of a group of data is also help-
ful in data analysis. The median can be found by arranging
the items from lowest to highest, and then finding the mid-
point of the distribution. Think of the median as the value
that’s located halfway through the ordered data set. There’s
an equal number of data values below and above the median.
Let’s revisit the example we just used involving test scores. If
we arrange the test scores in order from lowest to highest, we
can determine that the median, or middle point, of the scores
is 91. Exactly half of the scores lie above 91, and half lie
below it.
87, 87, 88, 90, 91, 91, 92, 98, 99, 100, 100
Now suppose that instead of 11 test scores, there were 10. In
this case, the median would fall halfway between the fifth and
sixth scores in the ordered set. You would find the median by
adding the two scores together and dividing the sum by 2. Let’s
look at an example involving an even number of test scores.

Find the median of the following test scores: 100, 100, 99,
98, 92, 91, 91, 90, 88, and 87.
In this case, the median lies somewhere between the fifth
score (92) and the sixth score (91).
To find the median, add the fifth and sixth scores together
and divide by 2.
The median test score is 91.5.
Mode. The most frequently or commonly occurring value in
a data set is called the mode. Let’s use another example
involving test scores to find the mode. Suppose the list of test
scores is as follows: 100, 99, 98, 92, 91, 91, 90, 88, 87, and
86. In this example, the mode is 91 because the number 91
occurs more frequently than any of the other numbers. The
median in this example also happens to be 91.
Lesson 2 39
In some cases, there can be more than one mode if two or
more values are equally common. The measure of central
tendency is called bimodal in the case of two modes and
multimodal in the case of more than two modes.
Measures of Variation
The measure of variation shows how information is spread
out around the measure of central tendency. Think of the
measure of variation as a range. For example, all examination
scores, from the highest score to the lowest score, represent a
measure of variation.

Variability
Variability indicates the differences among members of a
group within a scale of measurement. In the medical field,
heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the differences, or
variations, in heart rate. Heart rate variability is usually calcu-
lated by analyzing the time series of beat-to-beat intervals from
the electrocardiograph (EKG) or arterial pressure tracings.
Range
The range is the measure of variability between the lowest
and highest items in a frequency distribution. Range is the
simplest measure of variation to calculate because it equals
the highest value minus the lowest value. Since the range
involves only the largest and smallest values, it’s greatly
affected by extreme values. Therefore, it’s not resistant
to change.
Let’s use test scores again to illustration range.
Find the range of the following test scores: 100, 99, 98, 92,
91, 91, 90, 88, 87, and 86.
Subtract the lowest score from the highest score.
100 – 86 = 14
The range of the test scores is 14.
When calculating ranges, you should be aware of the outliers.

Outliers are the unusually large or small values within the
data sample. These values can greatly influence the range
and may not provide the most accurate information.
For example, find the range of the following test scores: 100,
99, 98, 92, 91, 91, 90, 88, 87, and 64.
100 – 64 = 36
In this case, the range of the scores is 36. Because the lowest
test score (64) is an outlier, the range of the scores increased
and isn’t representative of the total group of scores.
Variance
Variance is a common measure of dispersion. It’s the squared
differences between the data values used and the mean of
those data values. Its use is important when considering the
dispersion of the data values. If there’s a small sample or
population of data, then variance can be intuitively felt with-
out putting an exact number on it.
For example, suppose a student takes two subjects, math
and English. Each subject has three exams. The student
scored 90 percent on each of the exams for math, which is
a high B grade. The student also scored 70 on each of the
exams for English, which is a D and just passing, since 69
is failing. The data looks like this:
Math
Exam 1 90
Exam 2 90
Exam 3 90
Math Average 90 (90 � 3) = high B grade

3
English
Exam 1 70
Exam 2 70
Exam 3 70
English Average 70 (70 � 3) = D grade
3
Note: The definition of
variance shown on
page 182 of the textbook
is incorrect. Variance
isn’t “. . . the average of
the standard deviations,”
but rather the squared
differences between the
data values used and
the mean of those data
values. The formula
used in applying vari-
ance to a population is
correct.
Lesson 2 41
Review the correlation
formula and examples
on pages 189–191 of
your textbook.
Because of the small number of data values, you can easily

calculate the mean as 80, which is a C. You can also intu-
itively understand what the variance is as the measure of
dispersion.
However, what if there are thousands of data points? The
variance isn’t as intuitive anymore. It still needs to be calcu-
lated and the use of the variance as part of the concept of the
standard deviation becomes much more applicable.
Standard Deviation
Standard deviation is a measure of the spread or dispersion
of data. The larger the spread between the values in a data
group, the larger the standard deviation. You can find the
standard deviation by calculating the square root of the
variance.
Correlation
A correlation is a measure of the relationship between two
variables. You’ve probably used correlations before without
realizing it. For example, you might have noticed a correlation
between the amount of time you spend studying for exams
and the grade you receive. In the healthcare field, correlations
are important because they help providers determine which
treatments or services produce the best results for patients.
Review the formula for
standard deviation on
page 184 of your
textbook.

ASSIGNMENT 12: PRESENTATION
OF DATA
Introduction to Data Presentation
Now that you know how to accumulate and analyze data,
what do you do with it? In this assignment, you’ll learn how
to present data so that it’s understandable and accessible for
future use.
Before you present data to others, you must prepare it.
Preparing data involves
n Logging the data
n Checking the data for accuracy
n Entering the data into a system
n Transforming the data into something others can
understand
n Developing and documenting the data
Self-Check 11

Lesson 2 43
Once you’ve finished preparing the data, you’re ready to
begin the process of presentation. You can present data in
many different ways, depending on the type of data you’re
presenting and the message you want to convey. To under-
stand how to present data, you first need to understand the
different types of data.
Types of Data
As your textbook discusses, data can be categorical or
numerical. Categorical data represents data that can be
divided into groups. This type of data can include variables
such as age, race, and sex.
Categorical data is divided into four scales of measurement:
n Nominal data
n Ordinal data
n Ratio data
n Interval data
Analysis of categorical data generally involves the use of data
tables. Data tables can present categorical data by placing
information about two or more variables into rows and columns.
For example, imagine that you work in a pediatrician’s office
and you need to compile statistics regarding the height and
weight of children. This information might best be presented
in a data table.

Numerical data is measured or identified on a numerical
scale. It consists of two types of data: discrete data and
continuous data. Discrete data is data that can be counted.
For example, a healthcare facility can count the number of
defective syringes over a certain period of time. On the other
hand, continuous data is data that’s measured and subject
to change. For example, data regarding a person’s height is
considered continuous data.
Data Display
Different types of data require different kinds of display tools.
As your textbook discusses, data can be summarized in tables
or it can be visually represented in graphs. Table formats
include basic columnar tables, like the two-way table men-
tioned earlier, and frequency distribution tables. Graphs can
include bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, and histograms.
With all of these choices, how do you know which display tool
or method to use for presenting your statistical data? First,
decide if you want to present the data in a summary (table)
format or a visual (graphical) format. You may even want to
present the data using a variety of formats (including tables,
graphs, and narratives) to best serve your audience.
If you decide to present the data using a graph, ask yourself
the following questions:
n What am I trying to communicate?
n Who is my audience?
n Does the graph tell the entire story?

n Is any information incomplete or vague?
The following guidelines may help you decide which type of
graph to use:
n To show frequency of occurrence, like simple percentages
or comparisons of magnitude, use bar graphs or pie charts.
Examples of these graphs are shown on pages 208–211
of your textbook.
n To show trends over time, use line graphs, run charts,
or control charts. Examples of line graphs are shown on
pages 213–214 of your textbook.
n To show distribution (variation that’s unrelated to time),
use histograms. Examples of histograms are shown on
pages 214–215 of your textbook.
n To show association, or a correlation between two things,
use scatter diagrams. Sample scatter diagrams are shown
on pages 217–219 of your textbook.
Lesson 2 45
ASSIGNMENT 13: INFERENTIAL
STATISTICS IN HEALTHCARE
your textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare
Statistics.

Introduction to Inferential Statistics
Inferential statistics allow us to draw conclusions based on a
sample group of data. As your textbook points out, the con-
clusions and generalizations that comprise inferential
statistics are prone to error, so a certain degree of confidence
is necessary when using them. In this assignment, we’ll
discuss several types of inferential statistics.
Standard Error of the Mean and
Confidence Intervals
Standard error of the mean is a measure of the amount of
error that results from a sample. As the size of a sample
increases, so does the likelihood that the sample accurately
represents the whole. Thus, if the sample is large, the stan-
Self-Check 12
dard error of the mean is small. Conversely, if the sample is
small, the chances of error are higher and the standard error
of the mean is large.
A confidence interval represents the range of values in which
the mean lies. A confidence interval is determined when the
standard error of the mean is added to and subtracted from
the sample mean. For example, suppose that in a sample

population of 100, the standard error of the mean is 3.5. When
the standard error is added to the population (100 + 3.5 =
103.5) and subtracted from it (100 – 3.5 = 96.5), the resulting
confidence interval is the range of numbers between 96.5
and 103.5.
Null Hypothesis
A null hypothesis is a hypothesis that’s presumed to be true
until proven otherwise. It implies that the results observed in
a study are no different from what might have occurred as a
result of chance. For example, in a clinical trial of a new drug,
the null hypothesis might state that the new drug is no better,
on average, than the drug used currently.
As your textbook points out, most research is conducted to
reject a null hypothesis, although there’s always the possibility
that it will be proven true. Any level of uncertainty involved
when proving a null hypothesis true or false can result in an
error. Two types of errors can occur:
n Type I errors occur when the null hypothesis is rejected,
but is actually true.
n Type II errors occur when the null hypothesis is
accepted, but is actually false.
A number of different tests can be performed on a null
hypothesis:
n A t test is performed on a null hypothesis to determine
whether or not the results are statistically significant.
n An ANOVA (analysis of variance) test helps identify
sources of variability from two or more potential means.

Review the null
hypothesis examples
on pages 251–253 of
your textbook.
Review the examples
for t tests, ANOVA, and
chi square on pages
254–256 of your text-
book.
Review the formula and
examples related to the
standard error of the
mean and confidence
intervals on pages 250–
251 of your textbook.
Lesson 2 47
n Chi square is a statistical test that’s used to determine
the probability that an observed deviation from the
expected event or outcome occurs solely by chance.
Self-Check 13

ASSIGNMENT 14: BASIC
RESEARCH PRINCIPLES
you’ve read the study guide commentary, read pages 227–245
of your textbook, Calculating and Reporting Healthcare
Statistics.
Introduction to Research Principles
Your textbook discusses two types of research: basic research
and applied research.
Basic research is the study of data or information for the
purpose of increasing knowledge. This type of research is
performed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of
a subject without specific applications or results in mind.
Applied research is the study of the applicability of theories
or principles to the solution of a problem. Applied research
produces results that relate to real-world situations. It helps
develop new ideas, knowledge, solutions, or products.
Your text also discusses two different research methods, or
systematic approaches. Qualitative research describes events
without using numbers. Qualitative research can include
methodologies such as interviews, observations, and docu-
ment reviews. Quantitative research expresses information
in numerical form. This type of research includes any
methodologies with numerical tabulation and statistical
analysis, such as experiments, observations, and surveys.
The Research Process

The process of conducting research generally follows six steps:
Step 1: Defining the problem. The first step in the
research process is to identify a problem, question,
or issue that will help you form a hypothesis. For
example, an HIM department that doesn’t have
enough space to store patient records may hypoth-
esize that it would be beneficial to introduce an
electronic health record system to the facility.
Review Table 12.1 on
book to learn the
differences between
qualitative and quanti-
tative research.
Lesson 2 49
Step 2: Reviewing the literature. Once you identify a
problem, the next step is to review all of the
information about the topic to determine whether
similar research has already been performed. If
the topic has already been covered in another
research project, you can use that information as
a guide or you can present it to avoid repeating it.
Since the advent of the Internet, accessing and
reviewing literature has become a very easy
process. Not only can you rely on printed trade
industry journals and books, but you can also find
information about your topic using the Web.

Step 3: Designing the research. The next step in the
research process is design. A specific design is
used to structure the research and to show how
the research will answer questions about the iden-
tified problem. Proper research design is very
important because it increases the probability
of gaining useful results and makes the entire
process much less time consuming.
Step 4: Collecting the data. Data collection is the heart
of the research process because without it, the
project won’t be able to support the hypothesis.
Data collection involves gathering the information
needed for the study. As we discussed earlier, data
is collected through surveys, observations, and
experiments.
Step 5: Analyzing the data. Once you collect all of the
necessary data, the next step is to analyze it. In
this step, you’ll examine all of the information you
gathered and prepare to draw a conclusion based
on that analysis. As discussed earlier, two statistical
applications are used to analyze data:
n Descriptive statistics
n Inferential statistics
Step 6: Drawing conclusions. After you complete the first
five steps, you can draw conclusions to see if any
new knowledge was gained as a result of your
research. If you prove a hypothesis to be true, the
new knowledge was verified. When you obtain new
Review Figure 12.1 on

book for an example of
defining a research
problem.
knowledge through research, you can make revisions
to the theory. From those revisions, you can determine
if further research or information is needed.
Self-Check 14
51
HEALTHCARE STATISTICS
RESEARCH PROJECT
Background
Your research project for this course requires you to
calculate healthcare statistics based on a specific DRG clas-
sification. You’ll perform 10 calculations and submit all of
your work to the school for grading.

Procedure
You’re part of a hospital committee that has been asked to
study the following diagnosis-related group due to variations
in length of stay and total charges:
DRG 320, Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections,
age>17 with CC
As a result, you prepare the following profile for patients in
DRG 320.
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
Research Project52
Based on the information in the table, answer the following
questions:

1. What is the average length of stay?
2. What is the modal length of stay?
3. What is the median length of stay?
4. What is the variance length of stay?
5. What percentage of discharges is male?
6. What percentage of discharges is female?
7. What is the average gross charge?
8. What is the average patient age?
Case PDX DX1 DX2 DX3 DischargeStatus Race Sex Age LOS
Total Gross
Charges
1 5990 4270 4254 3591 SNF White M 33 7 $19,734.00
2 5990 20280 78820 5640 HOME White M 73 1 $1,798.00
3 5990 42731 2900 2859 OTHER White M 80 4 $9,612.00
4 5990 496 4359 41401 HOME White M 88 4 $12,680.00
5 5990 25001 4240 0414 HOME White M 83 5 $10,188.00
6 5990 496 5997 57420 HOME White M 85 3 $10,170.00
7 5959 496 HOME White F 82 1 $2,323.00
8 5990 5997 6011 HOME White M 78 2 $7,009.00
9 5990 7803 2761 3320 OTHER White M 79 4 $9,415.00
10 5990 494 0414 HOME White F 85 3 $7,745.00
11 5990 2765 586 ICF White M 81 3 $10,527.00
12 5990 7070 11289 25000 OTHER White F 61 6 $11,312.00
13 5902 2839 4111 5990 SNF Black F 85 3 $8,743.00
14 5990 5997 78820 496 SNF White M 90 6 $19,086.00
15 5990 0414 2765 25001 SNF Black F 86 2 $7,610.00
16 59080 5997 591 4019 HOME White F 74 3 $7,987.00

17 5990 5849 78039 45111 HOME Black M 53 6 $9,598.00
18 5990 2765 4019 2859 HOME White F 87 6 $13,096.00
19 5990 42731 7802 41401 OTHER Black F 85 4 $10,194.00
20 5990 2765 4019 25000 HOME White F 71 5 $13,116.00
21 5990 3481 SNF White F 59 3 $6,450.00
22 5990 2765 2639 7809 SNF White F 82 8 $17,064.00
23 59080 5997 591 56210 HOME Black F 37 6 $13,887.00
24 5990 5789 2800 2761 HOME CARE White F 74 4
$12,153.00
25 5959 5997 78820 2800 HOME White F 74 4 $8,824.00
26 59010 5950 5921 59781 HOME White F 47 3 $11,076.00
27 5990 4512 185 27800 HOME White M 80 6 $14,462.00
28 5990 2765 78039 99665 SNF Black M 53 7 $14,315.00
29 5990 42731 496 2113 HOME White F 75 2 $11,509.00
30 5990 2875 4139 4111 SNF White M 87 4 $5,806.00
31 5990 25001 2765 3310 SNF White F 92 5 $8,937.00
32 5990 25001 4280 2765 HOME White M 68 11 $19,889.00
33 5990 25003 7070 3441 HOME White M 43 2 $6,397.00
Research Project 53
9. What percentage of patients was discharged to a skilled
nursing facility?
10. What is the average age of patients discharged home?
Goal
The goal of this research project is to give you practical expe-
rience with statistical computations in the health information
technology (HIT) field.
Writing Guidelines

1. Type your research project, double-spaced, in a standard
print font, size 12. Use a standard document format with
1-inch margins. (Do not use any fancy or cursive fonts.)
2. Include the following information at the top of your
research project:
n Name and complete mailing address
n Student number
n Course title and number (Healthcare Statistics:
HIT 210)
n Research project number (40941300)
3. Read the assignment carefully and answer each
question.
4. Be specific. Limit your submission to the questions
asked and issues mentioned.
5. Proofread your work carefully. Check for correct spelling,
grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
Research Project54
Grading Criteria
Each question in this project is worth 8 percent of the total
grade. The 10 questions will be evaluated according to the
following criteria:
Content of questions 1–10 (8 points each) 80 percent

Written communication 10 percent
Format 10 percent
Here’s a brief explanation of each of these points.
Content
The student
n Provides clear answers to the assigned questions
n Answers the questions showing all calculations, not
just a final numerical answer
n Supports his or her answer by including all steps
taken to reach the final answer
n Stays focused on the assigned issues
Written Communication
The student
n Uses correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and
sentence structure, where necessary
n Makes sure the paper contains no typographical
errors
Format
The project is double-spaced and typed in font size 12. It
includes the student’s

n Name and complete mailing address
n Student number
Research Project 55
n Course title and number (Healthcare Statistics:
HIT 210)
n Research project number (40941300)
Submitting Your Project
Follow this procedure to submit your project online:
1. On your computer, save a revised and corrected version
of your assignment. Be sure it includes all of the infor-
mation listed in “Writing Guidelines.”
2. Go to http://www.takeexamsonline.com and log on to
the site.
3. At your homepage, click on Take an Exam.
4. In the box provided, enter the examination number.
The number for this research project is 40941300.
5. Click on Submit.
6. On the next screen, enter your e-mail address.
(Note: This information is required for online submission.)
7. If you wish to tell your instructor anything specific
regarding this assignment, enter it in the Comments box.

8. Attach your file or files as follows:
a. Click on the first Browse box.
b. Locate the file you wish to attach.
c. Double-click on the file.
d. If you have more than one file to attach, click on the
next Browse box and repeat steps b and c for each file.
9. Click on Submit.
Important
After you submit the project for evaluation, you should receive
a
confirmation e-mail with a tracking number. If you don’t
receive this
number within 24 hours, you must resubmit the project.
NOTES
Research Project 56
57
Self-Check 1
1. b
2. a

3. b
4. d
5. b
6. d
7. a
8. c
9. d
10. d
Self-Check 2
1. .20; 20 percent
2.
a. 15.89 percent
b. 13.26 percent
c. 0.77 percent
d. 0.07 percent
e. 56.33 percent
3. 16.67 percent
4. Two of the calculations aren’t correct. The correct per-
centage of patients admitted on Sunday and Thursday

are 17.8 and 15.4, respectively.
5. 389
6. $973.50
7. $12.64; $13.46
8. $8,712.50
9. 37.5 percent
10. 25 percent
A
n
s
w
e
r
s
A
n
s
w
e
r
s

Self-Check Answers58
11. 23
12. Yes, the calculations are correct.
13. Coder D calculated her accuracy incorrectly. Her
accuracy rate of 95.1% was correctly calculated on
the quarterly accuracy report.
Self-Check 3
1. The inpatient census is the number of inpatients present in
a healthcare facility at a given time. The daily inpatient
census is the number of inpatients present at the census-
taking time each day, plus any inpatients who were
both admitted after the previous census-taking time
and discharged before the next census-taking time.
2. An intrahospital transfer refers to a change in a medical
care unit, medical staff unit, or responsible physician
during the patient’s hospitalization.
3. Yes, there may be instances when more patients are
transferred into a patient care unit than transferred out
of the unit.
4. The total intrahospital transfers in must always equal
the intrahospital transfers out.
5.
a. 370
b. 373

c. 14
6.
a. 154
b. 174
c. 22
d. 65
7.
Self-Check 4
1. d
2. b
3. d
4.
a. 83.6 percent
b. 17.9 percent
c. 8.6 percent
Self-Check Answers 59
Community Hospital
Inpatient Statistical Report

Average Daily Inpatient Census by Nursing Unit
June 20XX
Unit Inpatient Service Days Average Daily Inpatient Census
A. Obstetrical 520 17
B. Pediatric 87 3
C. Medicine/Surgery 6,176 206
D. Medicine ICU 383 13
E. Surgery ICU 307 10
F. Psychiatry 603 20
G. Rehabilitation 725 24
H. Cardiac Care Unit 213 7
Total Adult and Children 9,014 300
I. Normal Newborn 475 16
J. Prog Care Nursery 135 5
K. Neonatal ICU 408 14
Total Nursery 1,018 34
5.

a. 11.5
b. 2.7
c. 0.7
6. 376
7.
Community Hospital
Annual Statistics, 20XX
Inpatient Service Days Percentage of Occupancy
Month Adult/Children Newborns Adult/Children Newborns
January 4,682 752 71.9% 80.9%
February 4,798 798 81.6% 95.0%
March 4,626 701 71.1% 75.4%
April 4,876 688 77.4% 76.4%
May 4,768 724 73.2% 77.8%
June 4,591 743 72.9% 82.6%
July 4,423 825 67.9% 88.7%
August 4,234 796 65.0% 85.6%
September 4,394 802 69.7% 89.1%

October 4,412 865 67.8% 93.0%
November 4,691 921 74.5% 102.3%
December 4,832 912 74.2% 98.1%
Total 55,327 9,527 72.2% 87.0%
Self-Check 5
Exercise 5.2
Date Admitted Date Discharged Length of Stay
1/01/08 11/29/08 333 days
4/17/07 12/01/08 594 days
6/28/08 1/09/09 195 days
2/01/08 4/08/09 432 days
11/29/08 6/07/09 190 days
Exercise 5.5
1. 5.2 days
2. True
3.

University Hospital
May, 20XX
Clinical Units Discharges Discharge Days ALOS
Surgery 1,720 8,627 5.0
Medicine 1,594 7,852 4.9
Neurology 988 4,285 4.3
Oncology 878 18,588 21.2
Obstetrics/Gynecology 588 1,479 2.5
Ophthalmology 385 1,154 3.0
Orthopedics 651 9,321 14.3
Pediatrics 358 2,841 7.9
Psychiatry/
Human Behavior 156 4,697 30.1
Rehabilitation 321 8,057 25.1
Urology 89 183 2.1
Total 7,728 67,084 8.7
Exercise 5.7
1.
Admitted Discharged LOS
1/12 1/31 19
7/04 7/30 26
1/01/2008 2/01/2009 397
11/24 11/24 1
6/19/2007 1/04/2009 565

2. 1,008
3. 5.8 days
4. 3.2 days
5. 4.4 days
6. 6.6 days
7. 3.6 days
8. Unit Medicare Medicare ALOS
Discharges Discharge
Days
Medicine 325 2,375 7.3
Surgery 175 2,103 12.0
Rehabilitation 298 4,179 14.0
Skilled Nursing 305 6,588 21.6
Self-Check 6
1. b
2. a
3. False. The death rate is 0.04 percent.
4. 0.02 percent
5. 0.10 percent
6. 0.11 percent

7. 0.37 percent
8. False. The net death rate, which excludes deaths that
occur within 48 hours of admission, is no longer considered
valid by many authorities.
9. False. Deaths within 10 days are typically used to compute
the postoperative death rate.
10. False. Anesthesia deaths occur very infrequently.
11. b
12. For early fetal death, the gestational age is less than 20
weeks and weight is 500 grams or less; for intermediate
fetal death, 20 weeks completed but less than 28 weeks,
and between 501 and 1,000 grams; and for late fetal
death, 28 weeks completed and 1,001 grams or more.
13. 2.87 percent
14. 2.36 percent
15. 0.27 percent
16. 0.09 percent
17. 0.16 percent
18. 0.16 percent

19. 0.78 percent
Self-Check 7
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. 100.00 percent
5. 60.00 percent
6. 15.64 percent
7. 11.82 percent
8. 12.00 percent
9. 14.98 percent
10. 80.00 percent
11. 3.57 percent
University Hospital
Cancer Registry Annual Report
Selected Cancers Reported
20XX

Type of Cancer No. of Discharges No. of Deaths Death Rate
Prostate 236 16 6.78%
Breast 368 24 6.52%
Lung and Bronchus 281 29 10.32%
Colon Rectum 397 12 3.02%
Uterus 130 5 3.85%
Urinary Bladder 101 2 1.98%
Non-Hodgkin’s
Lymphoma 203 16 7.88%
Melanoma of the skin 239 5 2.09%
Kidney and
Renal Pelvis 105 13 12.38%
Ovary 98 15 15.31%
Total 2,158 137 6.35%
12. 60.00 percent
13.
14. a, b, c, e, and f apply; d doesn’t apply because the
autopsy was done by the medical examiner, and g

doesn’t apply because fetal deaths and autopsies are
calculated separately.
15. c
16. True
17. c
18. Fetal deaths are never considered inpatients or
outpatients.
19. True
20. False. The place of autopsy isn’t important as long as
the deceased is considered a hospital patient.
Community Hospital
Annual Statistics
20XX
Month Gross Death Gross Autopsy Net Autopsy
Rate Rate Rate
January 0.83% 20.00% 25.00%
February 0.85% 20.00% 33.33%
March 1.29% 75.00% 85.71%
April 0.30% 50.00% 50.00
May 0.97% 33.33% 40.00%
June 0.98% 50.00% 75.00%

July 1.52% 55.56% 83.33%
August 0.51% 66.67% 66.67%
September 0.85% 40.00% 50.00%
October 1.00% 50.00% 60.00%
November 0.49% 33.33% 33.33%
December 0.34% 50.00% 100.00%
Totals 0.83% 46.67% 59.57%
21. False. Hospital autopsies may be performed on former
inpatients.
22. False. A fetus isn’t considered a patient.
23. True
24. False. The net autopsy rate includes only inpatients.
25. True
Self-Check 8
1. False. Infection rates may be calculated differently for
specific healthcare facilities and thus aren’t comparable
between organizations. They may calculate separate
infection rates for medical care units, specific disease
processes, age factors, and so on.

2. True
3. False. The denominator used is surgical operations.
4. False. This patient would be counted as one surgical
operation and two procedures because both ovaries
and tube were removed at the same time with the same
surgical approach.
5. False. This patient would be counted as having two oper-
ations and two procedures, even though they were done
at the same time, because the procedures are unrelated.
6. b
7. d
8. c
9. True
10. c
11. b
12. July: 98.38 percent
August: 99.14 percent
September: 97.38 percent
Quarter: 98.30 percent

Self-Check 9
1. 5.35 percent
2. 79.54 percent
3. 5 units
4. 99.6 percent
5. $14.33
6. 356 hours
7. 4.4 FTEs
8. 2.38 or 2.4 FTEs
9. $34,819.20
10. $38,688
11. $350
12. $8,880
13.
14. 57.14 percent
15. 75.86 percent
Community Hospital
Health Information Department

Fiscal Year 20XX-20XX
Item Budget Amount Actual Amount Variance/
% of Variance
Supplies $1,600 $1,595 $5 or 0.31%
Outside temp service $6,800 $7,200 $400 or 5.88%
Travel $1,500 $1,526 $26 or 1.73%
Conference fees $500 $455 $45 or 9.00%
Postage $1,000 $1,017 $17 or 1.70%
Subscriptions $325 $330 $5 or 1.54%
Maintenance contracts $1,500 $1,500 0 or 0%
16.
17. 6.63 percent
18.
a. 400 each
b. 57.14 coded each day
c. 1,182 passed the quality screens
19.

a. Employee A: 1.92 percent
Employee B: 1.73 percent
Employee C: 1.92 percent
Employee D: 5.38 percent
Employee E: 2.69 percent
b. Employee A: 0 percent
Employee B: 0.77 percent
Employee C: 0.38 percent
Employee D: 1.54 percent
Employee E: 1.92 percent
c. 0.92 percent
Community Hospital
Patient Number LOS Estimated Charges
171819 3 $2,850
124785 4 $3,800
452362 5 $4,750
326578 8 $7,600
528615 9 $8,550
213624 12 $11,400
242628 10 $9,500
659832 5 $4,750

428231 3 $2,850
269761 5 $4,750
20.
a. 1.38 percent
b. 45
c. $7,800 total savings
d. 7.44 years
e. 15 percent
21. Profiling is a measurement of the quality, utilization,
and cost of medical resources provided by physicians
that’s made by employers, third-party payers, govern-
ment entities, and other purchasers of healthcare. It’s
important to healthcare organizations because their
administrations need to know how physicians are using
the facility and whether the number of patients is
increasing or decreasing over time.
22. True
23. The case-mix index refers to the average relative weight of
all cases treated at a given facility or by a given physician,
which reflects the resource intensity or clinical severity
of a specific group in relation to the other groups in
the classification system.
24. January: 3.5568

February: 3.9000
March: 4.6000
Self-Check 10
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. False
Self-Check 11
1.
a. 69
b. 40th percentile
2. Mean: 52.2 discharges per day
Median: 55.0
Modes: 55 and 65
Range: 62
3. ALOS: 90.9 days

Median LOS: 100.5
Range: 180
4. False. Just because two variables are highly correlated
doesn’t mean that one caused the other.
5.
a. 5
b. 28
c. 64.8
d. 8.05
e. The value of 29 is an outlier.
f. The mean doesn’t adequately represent this distribution.
The median (3) is a better measure of central tendency
for this data set.
Self-Check 12
1. b
2. True
3. b
4. c

5. True
6. d
7. a
8. True
9. c
10. b
11. c
12. b
Self-Check 13
1. Inferential statistics are those that allow us to generalize
from a sample to a population with a certain amount of
confidence regarding our findings.
2. Descriptive statistics merely describe data. Inferential
statistics are used to generalize from a sample to a
population.
3. a. Null hypothesis: There’s no difference between emer-
gency room shifts on medication errors.
b. Null hypothesis: There will be no difference between
the currently used drug and the new drug.
4. a. Null hypothesis: The risk of a child being born prema-
turely will be the same for pregnant women who smoke
and pregnant women who don't smoke.

b. Null hypothesis: In older adults, there’s no relationship
between regular exercise and blood pressure levels.
5. It appears that patients treated with aspirin had a better
chance of living (15 vs. 2) than those not treated with
aspirin (4:8). Just by looking at the table, you can see
that more male heart attack patients treated with aspirin
lived; however, the chi square test tells us more.
That is, there’s less than a one percent chance that the
null hypothesis is true. The results are statistically sig-
nificant; there’s a relationship between male heart attack
patients who lived and took aspirin.
6. Reject the null hypothesis at the .05 level. This state-
ment rejects the null hypothesis and says that there’s a
statistically significant difference between the sample
means of Group A and Group B.
7. b
8. A Type I error would occur if the null hypothesis were
rejected when in fact there’s no difference between the
number of men or women who go to their primary care
physician for an annual exam.
9. A Type II error would occur if the null hypothesis isn’t
rejected, when, in fact, it’s false. In other words, a Type
II error would fail to reject the null hypothesis when in

fact there’s a difference in the level of understanding of
this chapter between students who have previously taken
a statistics course and those who have not.
10. 68.3 percent confidence interval: from 1.33 to 7.33
95.5 percent confidence interval: from –1.67 to 10.33
99.7 percent confidence interval: from –4.67 to 13.33
Self-Check 14
1. d
2. a
3. b
4. a
5. c
6. d
7. c
8. c
9. b
10. a
11. b
12. c

13. a
14. d
15. a

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