Predicting Professional Examination Outcomes: A Case of the Registered Health Information Administration Certification Examination.

PURPOSE: To determine whether differences existed among candidates for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification examination that may have characterized the likelihood of acquiring professional certification upon graduation. METHODS: Records of total of 197 former students were acquired from accredited health information administration education programs located across the United States. RESULTS: Final course grades in coding and introduction to health information administration and professional curriculum grade point average were strongly associated with the RHIA examination score. Subsequently, a 95% approximate prediction interval was computed. CONCLUSION: Certain academic and demographic variables can be used to predict which students may be at risk for unsuccessfully completing the certification examination. A regression model which can accurately predict the student's examination score was developed.

Acute myocardial infarction and race, sex, and insurance types: unequal processes of care.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States. Georgia's death rate from cardiovascular disease is higher than the national rate. Previous studies have suggested that whites and African Americans do not receive the same processes of care for a first episode of acute myocardial infarction, one of many cardiovascular disease pathologies. Patient's insurance type, race, sex, and whether a patient lives in a rural or urban area have also been suggested as explanations for unequal processes of care for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Using diagnosis-related group reimbursement data from an academic medical center in Georgia, this study found independent effects for race (p < .001) and payer status (p = .004), after adjusting for fiscal year. Possible causes for these differences, as well as recommendations for further study, are explored.

An analysis of computerization in primary care practices.

To remain profitable, primary care practices, the front-line health care providers, must provide excellent patient care and reduce expenses while providing payers with accurate data. Many primary care practices have turned to computer technology to achieve these goals. This study examined the degree of computerization of primary care providers in the Augusta, Georgia, metropolitan area as well as the level of awareness of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by primary care providers and its potential effect on their future computerization plans. The study's findings are presented and discussed as well as a number of recommendations for practice managers.