Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

Data is considered reliable when it shows:

1. It answers the question

2. It relates to the issue being studied

3. Similar values are obtained in repeated measurements of the same group

4. The instrument measurements are precise

The correct answer is: Similar values are obtained in repeated measurements of the same group

Data is considered reliable when similar values are obtained in repeated measurements of the same group. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure; if you were to conduct the same measurement multiple times under the same conditions, reliable data would yield the same or very similar results each time. This consistency is crucial in research and data analysis as it assures researchers that their findings are stable and can be trusted over time. In contrast, the other options deal with different aspects of data quality. Answering the question pertains more to validity, assessing whether the information effectively addresses the topic or query at hand. Relating to the issue being studied also speaks to relevance, which is important but does not guarantee repeated consistency. Finally, while having precise instrument measurements is beneficial for accuracy, it does not directly ensure that these measurements produce consistent results over time. Reliability specifically emphasizes the ability to replicate results, which is why the answer is grounded in the concept of repeated measurements yielding similar values.