Assignment:
You will be selecting the appropriate scales of measurement for a variety of healthcare data elements. Your answers do not have to be long but they should be written in complete sentences.
Activity - Choosing Scales of Measurement
Below is a list of variables that might be used in a variety health information management studies. For each item listed below, identify the appropriate scale of measurement (Interval, Nominal, Ordinal, or Ratio) and explain the rationale for your decision.
1. A listing of birth height of newborn babies
2. A count of the variations of eye color in newborns during 1 month
3. The city of residency for patients during a 1 month period
4. The percentage of patients that met the standard length of stay (LOS)
5. List of the number of admissions per day for 1 month
6. Top 50 admission diagnosis
7. Top 50 admission diagnosis by cost
8. Number of Medicare admissions for the month
9. The religious group that one affiliates with
10. The time it takes to complete a checking task
11. The size of the cerebellum expressed as a volume
12. The number of frustrated comments made during a laboratory negotiation task
13. The score on the Beck Depression Inventory (a pencil and paper depression scale)
14. The number of pounds lost during a six-week diet
15. The proportion of weight lost during a six-week diet
16. The heart rate of the participant
17. The percent shift in heart rate over baseline during an emotionally demanding task
18. The number of false alarm responses in a monitoring task
19. The pattern of scores on the MMPI personality inventory
20. The number of children in your family
21. The score on an anxiety sensitivity scale
A study shows the effect of smoking on pregnancy and the birth weight of babies. The data elements below are collected during this study. Identify the appropriate scale for each of them.
22. Mother smoked (yes or no)
23. Birth weight of the baby
24. Apgar score at 1 minute
25. Apgar score at 3 minutes