Module 14 Test 1: Organization and Management (RHIA version)

Question 1

The director of a Health Information Department has received the quarterly variance budget report. The report indicates the “overtime” category is unfavorable. The director is required to justify this overtime expense. Which of the following would be considered an acceptable explanation for this expenditure? Overtime is unfavorable this quarter due to

a chronic backlog in transcription.

a decrease in admissions this quarter.

a lack of supervision in the file area.

the annual purging of inactive files.

Answer 1

the annual purging of inactive files.

Question 2

The department director is responsible for budget costs that are controllable. Which of the following costs would be out of the director’s control?

equipment purchases

overtime authorizations

supply requisitions

fringe benefit cost per employee

Answer 2

fringe benefit cost per employee

Question 3

Which of the following tasks is the most appropriate for the Health Information Services director to delegate to the supervisor of Record Processing and Statistics?

completing a performance rating on the assistant director of the department

reviewing monthly statistical reports to verify accuracy

interviewing applicants for the position of Tumor Registrar

formulating a record retention policy for the entire facility

Answer 3

reviewing monthly statistical reports to verify accuracy

Question 4

Mike is an information specialist in the Department of Information Technology and he reports to the director of HIM. He has been assigned to a Joint Commission survey process project team. Mike receives assignments from the HIM director in order to continue his day-to-day operations within the HIM department as well as complete tasks assigned to him by the Joint Commission project manager. This refers to what type of authority relationship?

divisional organization

functional organization

matrix organization

projectized organization

Answer 4

matrix organization

Question 5

The director of a Health Information Department has asked the department supervisors to review and revise all job descriptions. The supervisor over coding and analysis has determined that the job description for the senior coders must be revised. The decision to revise the job description is probably due to a change in the

results of a recent performance appraisal conducted on one particular coder.

competitor facility’s job description for its coders.

number of coders.

scope of coding responsibilities.

Answer 5

scope of coding responsibilities.

Question 6

Which of the following is usually the largest expense for a health care facility?

travel fees

release of information fees

paper supply

staffing expenses

Answer 6

staffing expenses

Question 7

Which of the following terms describes the management theory where motivation of employees is influenced by first satisfying low-order needs, then higher order needs can be used as motivators?

change agent

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

emotional intelligence

85/15

Answer 7

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Question 8

There are several methods used to evaluate jobs. Which of the following is the simplest but the least precise?

job ranking

factor comparison

point system

job grading

Answer 8

job ranking

Question 9

A national HIM publication routinely requests that practitioners submit performance measures from their facility regarding department functions. These are then summarized and published to provide a tool for which of the following activities to take place?

benchmarking

continuous quality improvement

measurement of actual performance

employee self-logging

Answer 9

benchmarking

Question 9

The project manager is responsible for all of the following functions EXCEPT

creation of project plan.

approval of the budget for the project.

recommending plan revisions.

recruitment of project team.

Answer 9

approval of the budget for the project

Question 10

Which of the following is a tool used to generate the best strategic thinking within a team or workgroup?

critical issues

storytelling

innovations

driving force

Answer 10

storytelling

Question 11

You manage a claims review unit for an insurance company. Your staff keys a high volume of data into the system daily. You have scheduled a staff physical therapist to do the annual ergonomics presentation in an effort to prevent which of the following administrative issues?

absenteeism and workman’s compensation usage caused by work-related injury

ineffective work production due to inappropriate workflow

low patient satisfaction scores due to poor staffing practices

inappropriate aesthetics that are impacting productivity levels of the staff

Answer 11

absenteeism and workman’s compensation usage caused by work-related injury

Question 12

Which of the following methods of performance appraisal requires the supervisor to document exceptional behavior by the employee?

graphic rating scales

critical incident method

behaviorally anchored rating

goal Setting

Answer 12

critical incident method

Question 13

Based on the budget illustrated above, what is the monthly budget variance percentage for supplies?

26.6%

13.6%

11.9%

36%

Answer 13

36%

Question 14

In deciding to purchase or lease a new dictation system, the director of Health Information Services calculated the payback period and rate of return on the investment. The hospital’s required payback period is 3 years with a required rate of return of 20%. If the equipment costs $32,000 and generates $8,000 per year in savings, what would the payback period for this equipment be?

4 years

2 years

3 years

5 years

Answer 14

4 years

Question 15

During the month of May, there were 800 discharge abstracts processed at a cost of $0.90 per abstract for a total of $720.00. In June, 732 discharge abstracts were processed for a total cost of $658.80. This type of cost is known as

semifixed costs.

adjustable rate costs.

fixed costs.

variable costs.

Answer 15

semifixed costs

Question 16

The Occupational Safety and Health Act the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Vocational Rehabilitation Act are all federal legislation designed to

keep the workplace safe and accessible to all employees and customers.

prevent sexual harassment.

ensure equal pay for equal work.

protect child labor.

Answer 16

keep the workplace safe and accessible to all employees and customers

Question 17

You are attending budget training for new supervisors. The representative from Finance explains that _____ costs will vary in direct proportion to changes in the volume of care provided.

semifixed

periodic

variable

fixed

Answer 17

variable

Question 18

The most realistic approach that could encourage increased productivity in the tedious prepping area is to

arrange for all the preppers to have flex time.

have all the preppers work on a part-time basis.

vary and rotate the work assigned to each prepper.

shorten the workday by 1 hour.

Answer 18

vary and rotate the work assigned to each prepper

Question 19

South Beach Medical Systems is preparing to open a new 250-bed acute care hospital. This facility is located in a growing area of the city and is projected to have 85% occupancy within 3 years. To determine the number of employees needed in the HIM department, the director must first

identify the departmental functions to be performed.

determine employee salary ranges.

collect data from hospitals that are of comparable size.

develop a departmental organizational chart.

Answer 19

identify the departmental functions to be performed

Question 20

Misty is the director of the Health Information Services Department, and Dominique is the assistant director. Misty notices one of Dominique’s subordinates leaving the department for an unscheduled break. When the employee returns, Misty immediately asks the employee to step into her office and begins discussing the unauthorized break. Which organizational principle is this director violating?

organizational function

span of control

unity of command

grievance procedure

Answer 20

unity of command

Question 21

Which of the following is often characterized as a manager’s version of a pilot’s cockpit as it contains all the critical information for leading the organization?

groupthink

balanced scorecard

revenge effect

executive dashboard

Answer 21

executive dashboard

Question 22

As the director of Health Information Services, you manage the department with the assistance of four supervisors. One day you observe a coder coding charts from the face sheet without reviewing the record for additional documentation. The most appropriate course of action would be to

discuss the matter directly with the coder and instruct him to review the entire record for correct assignment of codes.

discuss your concerns with the Supervisor of Coding and direct her to address this issue immediately.

do nothing because the coding area is extremely productive.

discuss the problem with the CFO.

Answer 22

discuss your concerns with the Supervisor of Coding and direct her to address this issue immediately.

Question 23

The HIM department of a local hospital will experience a 20% increase in the number of discharges processed per day as the result of a merger with a smaller facility. This 20% increase is projected as 120 additional records per day. The standard time for coding a record is 15 minutes. Compute the number of FTEs required to process this increased volume in coding based on an 8-hour day.

3

5.25

4

6.5

Answer 23

4

Question 24

The supervisor of a Health Information Management department has aspirations of becoming the HIM director. She works very long hours so that she can address all department issues herself rather than relying on her staff to assist her. Which type of management skills is she in need of improving in order to attain her goal of department director?

delegating skills

political skills

leadership skills

motivating skills

Answer 24

delegating skills

Question 25

The Health Information Services Department director is developing a plan to convert their existing filing system to an electronic document management system (EDMS). The tool that is most useful to the director in displaying the steps and completion schedule for each phase of the conversion is a

procedure flowchart.

flow process chart.

work distribution chart.

Gantt chart.

Answer 25

Gantt chart

Question 26

The formalized road map that describes how your institution executes the chosen strategy defines

operational mission.

operations improvement.

strategic planning.

strategic thinking.

Answer 26

strategic planning

Question 27

The following statement is characteristic of which theory of management? “Managers should treat their employees in a more enlightened manner. Employees want to be listened to and offered the opportunity to participate in the design of their work.”

Contemporary Management

Administrative Management

Humanistic Management

Scientific Management

Answer 27

Humanistic Management

Question 28

Review the above organizational chart and determine which of the following statements is FALSE about the relationships of the employees displayed on the chart:

The director has subordinates.

The tumor registrar has authority over the assistant director.

The assistant director and the supervisor have a lateral relationship.

The director has authority over others in the department.

Answer 28

The director has subordinates

Question 29

A basic concept of office layout and workflow is that the

paper and employee move to a predetermined location.

office layout and workflow should be revised frequently.

employee moves to the paper.

paper moves to the employee.

Answer 29

paper moves to the employee

Question 30

Which of the following emphasizes the work climate in which harmony and cohesion promote good work?

tenure

scalar chain

chain of command

esprit de corps

Answer 30

esprit de corps

Question 31

The release of information supervisor has requested a meeting with her director of Health Information Services. She begins the meeting by describing how overwhelmed she is feeling. She is extremely behind in her work and she does not know what she can do to change the situation. In advising the supervisor, the director suggests that perhaps she should begin addressing her problem by attending a management workshop. Which of the following workshop topics is more likely to help the supervisor with her problem?

“Leadership Styles for Women Managers and Supervisors”

“Understanding Your Employee”

“Writing Skills for the Release of Information Supervisor”

“The Nature of Delegation”

Answer 31

“The Nature of Delegation”

Question 32

E-learning refers to training courses that are delivered electronically. One of the drawbacks of electronic training is

the flexibility of class time and place.

learner issues with motivation or distraction.

consistency of delivery.

the ability to reuse and easily maintain content.

Answer 32

learner issues with motivation or distraction.

Question 33

You have just assumed the responsibility as the new HIM supervisor of the imaging area. In order to become familiar and analyze the existing steps within the imaging process, you should use which of the following tools?

flowchart

histogram

fishbone diagram

force field analysis

Answer 33

flowchart

Question 34

Departments that provide support services to the organization, such as human resources, finances, and information systems, are referred to as

staff departments.

integrated delivery systems.

line managers.

matrix organization.

Answer 34

staff departments

Question 35

The project definition justifies the need for the new project. What would you expect to see in the project justification?

project scope, resources needed, and developing the solution

amount of time required, alternative analysis, and implementation review

resources needed, amount of time required, and preparing supporting documentation for the system chosen

project scope, resources needed, and amount of time required

Answer 35

project scope, resources needed, and amount of time required to complete

Question 36

Which of the following helps the organization prioritize investment opportunities?

profitability index

return on investment

net present value

internal rate of return

Answer 36

profitability index

Question 37

The organizing process determines how the work in a particular department will be divided and accomplished. In order to be in the best position to organize the work effectively, the manager must first engage in which management function?

organizing

planning

leading

directing

Answer 37

planning

Question 38

You are the new director of health information at a large multispecialty clinic. Your initial assessment of the department’s functioning is that there is considerable duplication of effort. To collect information on the systems used in the current functions and to analyze and improve the process, you chose to use a

decision tree.

flowchart.

Pareto chart.

systems diagram.

Answer 38

flowchart

Question 39

The director of Health Information has been selected to participate in a strategic planning retreat for her health system. In preparation, she refreshes her understanding of strategic planning. Which of the following will likely be included in the retreat?

Review of existing registration processes with the hopes of enhancing customer and patient satisfaction.

Focus on the organization’s fit with the external environment related to MACRA requirements.

Discuss how to improve turnaround time within transcription.

Opportunities to review internal structures and systems to improve existing coding processes.

Answer 39

Focus on the organization’s fit with the external environment related to MACRA requirements.

Question 40

When interviewing a prospective employee, which question would be inappropriate to ask?

“Do you own a home?”

“Can you type?”

“Where may we contact you?”

“What language other than English can you speak or write?”

Answer 40

“Do you own a home?”

Question 41

Written documents that assist an organization in achieving its objectives and carrying out its mission statement are known as

tactical plans.

operational plans.

strategic plans.

game plans.

Answer 41

strategic plans.

Question 42

Which of the following actions illustrates the use of employee empowerment by upper management?

discussing suggested approaches of improving productivity and performance with employees

micromanaging all aspects and functions performed in the department

basing decisions on information found in the manual of operations

providing supervision only when requested by employees

Answer 42

discussing suggested approaches of improving productivity and performance with employees

Question 43

Which of the following would NOT be a scientific method of establishing standards?

stopwatch studies

work sampling

personal experience

time-log studies

Answer 43

personal experience

Question 44

In project management, the series of activities that make up the longest duration toward project completion is referred to as

risk analysis.

project network.

project definition.

critical path.

Answer 44

critical path

Question 45

An HIM employee is consistently late for work. Their supervisor has given them an oral warning. According to the definition of progressive discipline, what would the next step be?

written warning and reprimand

termination

meeting with the supervisor of her supervisor

suspension

Answer 45

written warning and reprimand

Question 46

A supervisor determined that the rate of absenteeism with three of his employees was 15%. This was unacceptable and he researched two possible solutions to the problem. He evaluated these alternatives and thought the best thing to do was to suspend all three employees for 2 days. Once he implemented this solution, he analyzed the consequences. How would you label this process?

decision-making

planning

communicating

crisis management

Answer 46

decision-making

Question 47

Which of the following is FALSE in regard to budget variances?

Temporary budget variances are expected to continue in subsequent months.

A variance analysis identifies whether the variance is favorable or unfavorable.

Permanent budget variances do not resolve during the current fiscal year.

Variances are often calculated on the monthly budget report.

Answer 47

Temporary budget variances are expected to continue in subsequent months

Question 48

The Information Technology supervisor is planning a luncheon for the team members and stakeholders on the CPOE implementation taskforce in order to celebrate reaching a major milestone. Which of the following is true?

celebrations are only appropriate at the close of a project

budgets rarely permit these extra expenses

professionals are self-motivated, making celebrations unnecessary

acknowledging accomplishments and milestones motivates teams

Answer 48

acknowledging accomplishments and milestones motivates teams

Question 49

If the budgeted payroll expense was $24,300 and the actual payroll expense was $25,800, what is the percentage of cost variance?

6.17%

6.0%

0.58%

6.7%

Answer 49

6.17%