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CHIM NCE Practice Exam 2

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CHIM NCE Practice Exam 2

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Questions
200
Format
Multiple choice
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2 years
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About these practice questions

These practice questions will help you prepare for the CHIM national certification exam.

This practice test contains 200 practice questions covering the six sections of the CHIM national certification exam:

  1. Information governance
  2. Data quality
  3. Clinical knowledge
  4. Analytics
  5. Privacy
  6. Technology

All questions have been carefully designed to reflect the questions on the real exam, to help you prepare and get a passing grade.

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Sample practice questions

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Section 1: Information governance

1) Which pillar of medical ethics is the patient’s right to make decisions about their healthcare?
  1. Autonomy
    Autonomy is the patient's right to make decisions about their own healthcare. For example, healthcare professionals must respect the patient's right to choose or refuse treatment.
  2. Beneficence
    Beneficence is the duty to "do good" by acting in the patient’s best interest.
  3. Justice
    Justice means fairness.
  4. Nonmaleficence
    Nonmaleficence is the duty to "not do bad" by avoiding harming the patient.
2) What is the main purpose of maintaining data logs?
  1. To identify and correct errors
  2. To improve the speed and efficiency of data processing
  3. To prevent unauthorized access to data
  4. To see who has accessed and changed the data
    Data logs, also known as audit logs, are a record of actions performed on a system or data. This information is crucial for determining who is responsible for data changes.
3) What is the focus of quality assurance?
  1. Continuous quality improvement
  2. Doing more with less
  3. Improving a system
  4. Preventing mistakes and defects
    The core purpose of quality assurance is to prevent mistakes and defects.
4) Which problem-solving methodology consists of the phases Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control?
  1. Lean
  2. Pareto charts
  3. Shewhart cycle
  4. Six Sigma
    Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) is a five-stage method used by Six Sigma to improve processes and products.
5) Which of these is a key principle of the lean management philosophy?
  1. Ideas flow from the top down
    Lean management encourages a bottom-up approach, where ideas for improvement are often sourced from the employees directly involved in the processes.
  2. It is better to under-communicate than to overcommunicate
    Lean management emphasizes frequent communication.
  3. Staff must be accountable to achieve success
    In lean management, staff accountability is crucial. Every team member is responsible for contributing to the improvement process.
  4. Words speak louder than actions
    Lean management emphasizes actions and tangible results over words.
6) Which phase of the PDCA cycle involves carrying out a small experiment to test the hypothesis?
  1. Plan
  2. Do
    The PDCA cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act) is a four-step process for continuous improvement. The four steps are:
    1. Plan: Identify the problem, analyze it, and develop a solution.
    2. Do: Implement the solution on a small scale.
    3. Check: Evaluate the results of the experiment.
    4. Act: Standardize or abandon the solution based on the results.
  3. Check
  4. Act
7) TQM stands for __________ quality management.
  1. targeted
  2. technical
  3. total
    TQM stands for Total Quality Management, an approach to delivering quality and continuous improvement.
  4. traditional
8) Which action could constitute battery?
  1. Disclosing a patient's health information without consent
    Disclosing information without consent is a breach of confidentiality, not battery.
  2. Holding down a patient to draw their blood against their will
    Holding down a patient to draw their blood against their will could constitute battery. Battery is the intentional and unauthorized physical contact with another person, resulting in harm or offence to that person.
  3. Refusing to draw blood from a patient who arrives late to the appointment
    Refusing to draw blood from a patient who arrives late may be hospital policy to avoid disrupting appointments for other patients.
  4. Spreading malicious rumours about a colleague
    Spreading malicious rumours about a colleague is defamation. Defamation means spreading lies about someone to damage their reputation.
9) Which of these services generally requires out-of-pocket payment or coverage through private insurance?
  1. X-rays
  2. Ambulance transport
  3. Dental care
    Provincial health plans do not cover most dental care services. Canadians must rely on private insurance or pay out-of-pocket for dental care.
  4. Hospital care
10) Which term means an unanticipated event that results in death or serious injury to a patient?
  1. Adverse event
  2. Liability incident
  3. Panic incident
  4. Sentinel event
    A sentinel event is an unexpected event that results in death or serious injury. Examples include surgery on the wrong limb, suicide of a patient in a care setting, and death from a medication error.
11) Which of the following is a key consideration before disclosing health information?
  1. The storage format of the information
  2. The time of day
  3. Whether proper authorization has been obtained
    The principles of confidentiality and privacy require healthcare personnel to obtain authorization before sharing health information.
  4. Whether the patient has health insurance
12) What are the 5 stages of the information life cycle?
  1. Creation, storage, usage, archival, and destruction
    The information life cycle is the stages that data passes through from creation to destruction. The five stages are:
    1. Creation – Information is created or collected (e.g. entering patient data into a system).
    2. Storage – The data is saved for future access (e.g. in a database or file system).
    3. Usage – The information is accessed, shared, or used for decision-making.
    4. Archival – Data that is no longer actively used is stored long-term
    5. Destruction – When information is no longer needed or legally required, it is destroyed to protect privacy.
  2. Discovery, interpretation, communication, obfuscation, and crystalization
  3. Inspiration, processing, propagation, solidification, and erosion
  4. Organization, dissemination, use, change, and obsolescence
13) When an error is found in an electronic record, a(n) ___________ should be made.
  1. addendum
    An addendum should be made when an error or omission is found in an electronic record. An addendum creates a new entry that provides the correct information while retaining the original information. This ensures the original record remains unaltered, which is important for medico-legal reasons.
  2. change
  3. deletion
  4. new record
14) Which department of the Government of Canada is responsible for national health policy?
  1. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
  2. Health Canada
    Health Canada is the federal government department responsible for general health policy and regulation.
  3. Public Health Agency of Canada
    The Public Health Agency of Canada is the federal government agency responsible for public health.
  4. Statistics Canada
15) What is the most common numeric filing system used in healthcare facilities?
  1. Chronological
  2. Middle digit
  3. Straight
  4. Terminal digit
    The most popular method of filing is the terminal digit filing system. The main advantage of terminal digit filing is that records are distributed equally across the filing area.
16) In which filing system is the heaviest filing activity concentrated in the area with the most new records?
  1. Alphabetical
  2. Middle digit
  3. Straight numeric
    In a straight numeric filing system, files are ordered from lowest to highest number. The disadvantage is that queuing and congestion occur at the end of the sequence, since this is where all the most recent files are.
  4. Terminal digit
17) Decentralized records are:
  1. easier to manage
  2. less costly to manage
  3. more labor-intensive to manage
    A decentralized records system spreads documents across different spaces, such as multiple rooms or floors. Decentralized records are more labor-intensive to manage because they require more organization. Searching for a specific record can also be time-consuming and inefficient.
  4. more secure
18) What is medical negligence?
  1. A situation where an injured patient has no evidence of how the injury occurred
  2. An agreement for a doctor to provide treatment
  3. The failure to provide a patient with a reasonable standard of care
    Medical negligence means the failure to provide an acceptable level of care.
  4. The submission of insurance claims for services never provided
19) Which intervention is refused by some parents due to fears of potential links to autism, despite scientific evidence to the contrary?
  1. Blood transfusions
  2. Chemotherapy
  3. Vaccination
    A common reason parents give for not vaccinating their children is fear of autism. However, there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism.
  4. X-rays
20) In the SOAP note of problem‐oriented medical records, what does the letter “P” stand for?
  1. Patient
  2. Plan
    SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan.
  3. Problem
  4. Prognosis

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Book edition of CHIM NCE Practice Exam 2

About the CHIM national certification exam

What is the CHIM national certification exam?

The CHIM NCE (Certified in Health Information Management National Certification Examination) is an exam administered by the Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM).

The exam assesses entry-level knowledge of health information management, including information governance, medical terminology, analytics, and privacy.

Passing the exam is a requirement to become a Certified Health Information Management (CHIM) professional in Canada.

Applying for CHIM NCE

The first step for applying for the CHIM NCE is to join CHIMA. Go to echima.ca/membership to sign up if you're not already a member. CHIMA membership costs $40.75 + taxes if you're enrolled in a health information program, or $130.00 + taxes for an affiliate membership.

Once you've joined CHIMA, sign into your CHIMA account at echima.ca to apply for the CHIM NCE. You'll need to pay the exam fee ($498.00 + taxes)

Computer requirements

The CHIM NCE is home-based, which means you will take the exam at home on your own computer or laptop. You will need a PC, Mac, or laptop to take the exam. Tablets and smartphones are not allowed.

Before your exam day, go to quiz.proctor.alemira.com/precheck to check if your computer meets the exam requirements.

Exam day

On exam day, first you will complete a system check to make sure your webcam and microphone work. Then your proctor will ask you to show your room via your webcam to prove you are alone in the room and do not have any books or study notes with you.

You will also need to show a photo of your ID. The ID must:

  • be valid (not expired)
  • be government-issued
  • have your photo and signature

Examples of valid IDs are a passport or driving license.

The CHIM NCE lasts two hours. Questions are multiple-choice with only one correct answer. You can use paper, pencils, and a non-scientific (simple) calculator.

Passing the exam

To pass the exam, you will need to

  • score at least 60% overall on the exam and
  • score at least 50% on each of the six practice areas (Information Governance, Data Quality, Clinical Knowledge, Analytics, Privacy, and Technology)

Getting your results

Around 4 weeks after the exam, you'll find your exam results by logging into echima.ca.

If you pass the exam, the Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM) will post you a certificate and welcome letter within 45 business days. You'll also need to continue fulfilling the following requirements to maintain your CHIM designation:

  • Pay the annual membership fee to CHIMA
  • Complete continuing professional education (CPE) credits
  • Uphold the CHIMA code of ethics

Cancelling your exam

If you need to cancel your exam, send your cancellation request in writing to CHIMA.

Cancel at least two weeks in advance for a full refund. If you cancel less than two weeks before your exam date, you won't receive a refund.

What if I fail the exam?

If you fail the CHIM NCE, you can retake the exam two more times (for a total of three attempts). You must pay the exam fee of $498.00 + taxes each time.

If you fail the CHIM NCE on your third attempt, you will have to undergo a CHIMA review before you can retake it again.

Recommended study resources

CHIMA recommends the following resources to prepare for the CHIM NCE:

  • Adamson, Bonnie. Fundamentals of Health Information Management, 2nd Edition. Canadian Healthcare Association (CHA).
  • CHIMA. The Canadian Health Information Management Lifecycle. (Available to buy at echima.ca)
  • CHIMA. The Study Guide for the Fundamentals of Health Information Management, 2nd edition. (Available to buy at echima.ca)

Overview of the practice areas

The CHIM NCE covers six practice areas:

  1. Information governance
  2. Data quality
  3. Clinical knowledge
  4. Analytics
  5. Privacy
  6. Technology

Each practice area has 15 questions, making 90 questions in total.

Continue reading for more information about each practice area.

1. Information Governance

The first practice area of the CHIM NCE is Information Governance. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • The information lifecycle, including typical information roles and the relationship between data governance, information governance, and the HIM lifecycle
  • Healthcare policy and procedures, including differences between principles, policies, and procedures, and the overall structure of the Canadian health system
  • Quality management practices such as CQI, LEAN, and TQM, including the process of implementing and maintaining a quality management program
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion in health care policies, addressing accessibility issues and strategies to represent marginalized groups
  • Ethical decision-making frameworks, including the implications of unethical decisions and cultural competence
  • Sensitivity training for individual beliefs, age, gender, religion, languages, and cultural beliefs
  • Professional codes of ethics, such as those from the Canadian College of Health Information Management and other organizations
  • Health records management, including interpretability, linkability, and timeliness for meaningful insights
  • Legislation requirements for health information, including documentation standards and reporting requirements
  • Documentation standards across different health care environments
  • Error detection and correction procedures
  • Master Patient Indexes (MPIs) and Enterprise Master Patient Indexes (EMPIs), including their definition, development, and maintenance

2. Data Quality

The second practice area of the CHIM NCE is Data Quality. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • Data collection principles, frameworks, and policies for ethical data management
  • The DIKW (data, information, knowledge, wisdom) pyramid
  • Data collection strategies such as surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and experiments
  • Health information flow and utilization management across various levels of care
  • Health data repositories, including CIHI, Statistics Canada, and Ministries of Health
  • Data quality principles, including accuracy, reliability, timeliness, and data stewardship
  • Data integrity practices, including standards and error detection in electronic systems
  • Data standards development and the standards lifecycle
  • Interoperability and standards development organizations like Canada Health Infoway and CIHI
  • Data submission tools and coding classifications, such as DAD, NACRS, ICD-10-CA, and CCI
  • Case mix groups and the impact of social determinants of health

3. Clinical Knowledge

The third practice area of the CHIM NCE is Clinical Knowledge. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • Anatomy and physiology, including structural units of the body and anatomical structures
  • Diseases, including etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and prognosis
  • Normal and abnormal results for common medical tests
  • Health risk factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors
  • Types of interventions, such as counseling, surgical, pharmaceutical, and radiological
  • Sick-role behavior and its implications in health care
  • Medical terminology, abbreviations, and acronyms commonly found in health care documentation

4. Analytics

The fourth practice area of the CHIM NCE is Analytics. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • Health care statistics, including descriptive statistical theory and hospital statistics
  • Research design and methods, including ethics approval, qualitative and quantitative research, and epidemiology
  • Data collection strategies and authoritative sources of health data
  • Analytics indicators, including the creation and use of performance indicators and health care quality monitoring
  • Business intelligence tools for data presentation, such as balanced scorecards and dashboards
  • Consumer informatics, including personalized information needs, Internet of Things, and wearable technology
  • Finance, including MIS standards, case costing activities, and funding models

5. Privacy

The fifth practice area of the CHIM NCE is Privacy. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • Privacy principles, frameworks, policies, and compliance with legal and statutory drivers
  • Key privacy legislation such as PIPEDA and provincial/territorial statutes
  • Privacy, security, and confidentiality principles in health information practice
  • Management of privacy or security breaches and the tools used for privacy risk assessment
  • Individuals' rights to access and request changes to their personal health information
  • Retention and destruction policies for health information
  • Legal terms related to health information privacy
  • Critical issues addressed by ethics and law in health information
  • Security infrastructure, including principles, frameworks, policies, and processes for technology platforms
  • Internal and external access control tools and practices
  • Principles for external data sharing and access, including third-party queries and policies for Métis, Inuit, First Nations, and Indigenous populations

6. Technology

The sixth and final practice area of the CHIM NCE is Technology. This practice area will ask you questions about:
  • Technology systems principles, policies, and processes for data maintenance, including storage, encryption, retention, and access management
  • Systems development lifecycle and IT procurement processes
  • Systems implementation, including IT infrastructure support, training, and conversion plans
  • Concepts of EHR, PHR, EMR, and EPR
  • Project management and change management concepts
  • Types of health care information systems and their information flow
  • Ethical issues in health policy, systems research, and EHR implementation
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion standards in information systems
  • Health information exchange, including data integration and linkage theories and standards for data transmission
  • Benefits and challenges of standards and the impact of interoperability on health care quality and outcomes